PTI asks supporters to take to streets amid possibility of Imran’s arrest

Leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have asked party workers and supporters to take to the streets to protest against the possible arrest of former prime minister and party chief Imran Khan.

The call was given after PTI chairman Imran was booked in a terrorism case on the complaint of Islamabad Saddar Magistrate Ali Javed for allegedly threatening the additional sessions judge of the federal capital, Zeba Chaudhry.

The first information report (FIR), a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, was lodged with the Margalla police station at 10pm on Saturday, following a speech of Imran Khan at the PTI rally in F9 Park. The FIR also carries Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The FIR was lodged hours before another Islamabad police station received a written complaint from a resident of G-11/2 for lodging a case against Imran over making hate speeches, and inciting rebellion against the army, police and judiciary.

The FIR lodged by the Margalla police said that the PTI chief threatened the additional sessions judge of Islamabad with a view to terrorise the high officials of the police and the judiciary, so that they could not fulfil their duties and refrain from taking action against the PTI due to fear of Imran.

Senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry in a tweet asked workers to reach Imran’s Bani Gala residence, saying still dozens of workers were already present at his house. “[..] in few hours thousands of people will be in Bani Gala InshaAllah,” he added.

PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi while speaking to the media told party activists to remain prepared and wait for the party’s call for protest in case of Imran’s arrest.

He said they had concerns that the coalition government was planning to arrest the party chief saying, “Imran is our red line and conspirators will have to face consequences”.

Similarly, PTI leaders Farrukh Habib and Hammad Azhar also asked the workers to gather in their Faisalabad and at Lahore’s Liberty Chow area respectively to foil attempts of the “imported government” to arrest Imran.

“If Imran khan is arrested by the imported govt we will take over Islamabad and my message to police is that don’t be part of this political war anymore otherwise [we] will deal u as PDM workers,” former federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur warned the authorities on his official Twitter handle.

Meanwhile, videos shared on social media showed PTI workers have started to arrive at Imran’s residence with firebrand leader Murad Saeed reached on a motorcycle.