PTI claims 627 workers detained in Punjab

Opposition leader demand immediate release of party workers

MULTAN/ LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf sprung into action on Friday staging scattered protests across Lahore in response to the government’s crackdown ahead of the party’s November 2 dharna.

As tensions continue between the government and the PTI, the opposition party claimed 627 of its workers had been arrested by the government across the province and demanded their immediate release.

On Friday, PTI leaders alleged police had raided several of the party offices and residences of leaders in Lahore including that of Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rasheed and PTI’s former Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry. Both the leaders were not present at the time of the raids.

Party sources say leaders have been instructed to stay away from their residences and offices to avoid arrest by the authorities ahead of November 2.

No PTI leader was, however, arrested in Lahore (till the filing of this report) despite the party’s claims of attempts being made to stamp out the protest. The PTI leadership roamed freely across the city as they met leaders of Pakistan Awami Tehreek, held protests as well as press conferences.

In a press conference held at the Punjab Assembly, Opposition Leader Mehmoodur Rasheed condemned the government’s ‘crackdown’, saying the authorities had raided the residence of MPAs, including Asif Mehmood, Raja Rashid Hafeez and Saadia Sohail.

“They cannot silence us. People will now come out in larger numbers because of their cheap tactics,” he said while referring to the raids and arrests.

Rasheed claimed 627 PTI workers had been arrested by the government with lists of their workers and leaders being prepared by police authorities for arrests, “The government is itself locking down cities. We remain resolved to protest and will do so peacefully,” he added.

As political temperatures rose across the province, Rasheed also raised his concerns with the Punjab Assembly speaker over what he termed was blatant harassment of the elected representatives.

Responding to call by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, party workers staged protests at various points, including the Lahore Press Club, Samanabad, Qartaba Chowk, Shahdra and Babu Sabu.

Some lawyers affiliated with PTI also came out on the streets against the arrest of party workers in Rawalpindi. The lawyers blocked Mall Road for half an hour, burning tyres and shouting slogans against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government.

Some of the protesting lawyers were also reported to have misbehaved with locals. In one of such incidents, a lawyer slapped a man who was on a motorcycle with his children. However, the act was condemned by PTI Lawyers’ Wing leader Gohar Nawaz Sindhu.

Clashes between PML-N workers and the participants of PTI caravan in Gujranwala were reported on Friday. Over a hundred demonstrations of PTI were staged out in various parts of southern Punjab, including Multan, Vehari, Khanewal, Okara, Sahiwal, Pakpattan and Layyah.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2016.