Imran denounces 'police brutality unleashed' by govt on Azadi marchers

Following the turmoil during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Azadi March – when numerous PTI workers were harassed and arrested – the chief of PTI and former premier Imran Khan strongly denounced the ‘police brutality’ sanctioned by the ‘criminal imported government’.

Terming the violence “condemnable and unacceptable”, Imran took to his official Twitter handle to post a four-minute-long video compilation of the mistreatment of PTI workers at the hands of law enforcement agencies.

The video showed clips of PTI leaders such as Shireen Mazari getting arrested from their homes, police personnel breaking into PTI leaders’ homes, getting attacked by the police, PTI supporters and workers getting shelled with tear gas, facing physical assault, facing baton charges on people as well as cars, with police breaking former provincial health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid’s windshield.

“Night before our March, Punjab and Sindh police violated PTI members' homes, harassing the families,” Imran detailed.

According to the former prime minister, the “criminal imported government” flouted the word of the Constitution as well as Supreme Court orders as they “unleased police brutality” on “peaceful” protestors.

Read Police raid PTI leaders' homes ahead of Islamabad long march

The PML-N-led coalition government on Wednesday had failed to contain PTI activists and supporters – who while staging their “Haqeeqi Azadi March” -- managed to cross all barriers and reached near D-Chowk after setting some trees and public property on fire in the Blue Area of the federal capital.

The ministers and leaders, who mocked the opponents for not having enough support and kept claiming victory throughout the day through their statements and news conferences, were left red-faced when the protesters crossed all the hurdles and compelled the law-enforcement agencies to retreat.

Clashes had continued throughout the day between the protesters and law-enforcement agencies at different locations in the twin cities, including Faizabad Interchange, where the roads were blocked with containers.

The clashes unfolded against a hazy backdrop of police-fired tear gas with PTI supporters and activists flexing their muscles in an unrelenting stare-down with the security personnel who resorted to firing teargas, baton-charging and detaining the marchers.