Police thrash PTI activists calling for police reforms

After Jamaat-e-Islami, PTI earns police’s ire as they take to the streets against govt

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists’ arrests from outside the Karachi Press Club on Sunday over protests against the removal of the Sindh IG and calling for police reforms was seen by many as yet another testimony to the Sindh government’s sheer intolerance to any and all kinds of opposition.

Before his arrest, #FixIt campaigner and PTI worker Alamgir Khan told The Express Tribune that his protest was against the removal of the Sindh IG. He added that he was also protesting against the existing police system in the province and he wanted to see elimination of the culture of bribery and extortion on part of the police and the politicisation of the police in the province. He criticised the removal of AD Khawaja by the Sindh government, saying that it was wrong to surrender the services of an honest official. He said they had been calling for police reforms, demanding de-politicisation of the police, an end to the culture of bribery and extortion and an increase in the salaries and allowances of police officials.

Khan gained popularity after launching a campaign in which he would draw stencils of former CM Qaim Ali Shah adjacent to open manholes on roads in an attempt to garner his attention to the civic issue. Later, he also initiated cleanliness drives. Khan is also a member of the PTI but has maintained that the #FixIt campaign has nothing to do with any party.



On Sunday, the PTI activists had been protesting outside the press club against what they termed ‘police gardi’, referring to ‘unlawful’ behaviour of the police, and the replacement of former Sindh IG Allah Dino Khawaja with Abdul Majeed Dasti. Protesters were baton-charged and water cannons were used by the police to disperse them.

“The police should be a symbol of safety for a common man,” Khan told The Express Tribune. “Unfortunately, they have become a symbol of fear for the citizens.” He added that they were not against the police and were demanding an increase in salaries and allowances of personnel.

Khan then went on to march with 200 of his fellow activists from Karachi Press Club to CM House. As he began the march, the police arrested him and booked him for violation of Section 144.



“He was arrested because he was marching towards the Chief Minister House, which is in the red zone, while Section 144 is also imposed in the metropolis,” said South SSP Saqib Ismail. Khan was asked to confine his protest till the Karachi Press Club, he added. However, said SSP Ismail, he did not agree and started marching towards the red zone, which is why he was arrested.

An emerging pattern

Similar treatment was meted out to workers and leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami on Thursday when they protested against the K-Electric on Sharae Quaideen. Police arrested their Karachi amir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman along with other party workers while teargas shells were fired and protesters were baton-charged.

PTI reacts

Meanwhile, PTI workers staged a protest outside Governor House under the leadership of PTI Sindh President Arif Alvi along with senior leader Haleem Adil Sheikh and the party’s Karachi president, Firdous Shamim Naqvi, demanding the immediate release of their fellow party workers.



“We reject such a system where corrupt and criminal people like Sharjeel Memon and Dr Asim [Hussain] enjoy all the luxuries while people who are serving the society are detained by the police for practising their democratic right,” said Alvi.

Workers shouted slogans against the governor and chief minister of Sindh while scuffles between the PTI representatives and police continued. Talking to the media, Sheikh announced that they are marching towards CM House and the cause is the same as that of Alamgir Khan. “We are against police gardi,” he said. “We demand immediate release [of our workers].” According to him, PTI Karachi Vice-President Raja Azhar was also arrested along with Khan.

Later at night, Sheikh told The Express Tribune that the police assured them that Khan was about to be released soon from Naya Kot police station.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the CM House said the government would not allow anyone to create a law and order situation in the city, especially in the red zone.