One day to go: Massive crackdown on the cards

Extra police contingents deployed, containers placed at all exit points

MULTAN/ LAHORE: The Lahore police were planning for a massive, pre-dawn crackdown against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers getting ready to leave for Islamabad, just a day ahead of the party’s planned lockdown of the federal capital.

To chalk out a strategy for the crackdown to be launched Monday night, the police high-ups held marathon consultations with divisional SPs where lists of PTI activists, workers and leaders prepared by special branch police and intelligence agencies were shared.

To send out the instructions at police station-level, the divisional SPs later held meetings with SHOs and DSPs at their offices. Anti-riot equipment, including batons, helmets, tear gas guns, shells and protective jackets have been provided to police stations by the SP headquarters. Reserve police forces have also been called in to aid the local police.

Extra contingents of police have been deployed at the exit points of Lahore at Shahdara Morr on GT Road and Babu Sabu Interchange on Lahore-Islamabad Motorway with containers already moved to the places.

A senior police officer told The Express Tribune that they have not yet received instructions to shut down the motorway, but it is quite likely the government would issue the orders late night.

The officer said the government issued orders to arrest PTI leaders as well as workers and activists under the Maintenance of Public Order.

A PTI insider said all main leaders of the PTI had already left Lahore to avoid arrest with only Mehmoodur Rasheed and Shafqat Mehmood still in the city.

PTI MPA Aslam Iqbal had earlier dodged police during a raid at his house and his office on Sunday night and left Lahore using Metro train to reach Shahdara, before leaving for Islamabad.

Late Sunday night, Lahore police had arrested more than 160 PTI workers in surprise raids across the city. The PTI claimed that 30 activists were arrested from Civil Lines Division, 17 from Iqbal Town, 15 from City Division, 35 from Saddar, 37 from Model Town and 30 from Cantt.



Police also raided the houses of PML-Q leaders Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Amjad Chaudhry and Khawaza Tahir Zia as well as former Punjab governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar. Sarwar was not present at his house and police left after questioning his employees.

PTI Multan President Ijaz Janjua said 1,800 PTI workers have been arrested by police in Multan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Vehari, Sahiwal, Khanewal and Pakpattan. Many more have fled their houses after arrest orders were issued by the PML-N government and police are manhandling travellers on every bus going out of the cities.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st , 2016.