‘Jail Bharo:’ 70 PTI leaders, workers court arrest in Gujranwala

PTI chairman Imran Khan hails party workers for coming out in ‘huge numbers' for the movement

As many as 70 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and leaders on Sunday voluntarily presented themselves for arrest to the police in Gujranwala on the fifth day of the Jail Bharo Tehreek (fill the prisons movement).

Earlier this week, PTI chief Imran Khan had launched the movement aimed at pushing the government towards early elections, registering a protest against the prevailing economic instability in the country as well as condemning the alleged crackdown on party leaders and activists.

According to Express News, a large number of PTI activists gathered outside the ‘Jail Bharo’ camp in the district and dozens of party workers forced themselves into five prisoner vans.

Taking to Twitter, former PM Imran hailed the PTI leaders and workers for coming out in “huge numbers for court arrest movement”.

“Congratulations for breaking the chains of fear with your junoon (passion) & commitment,” he said.

Today, Gujranwala: PTI leaders & workers came out in huge numbers for our Jail Bharo (court arrest) movement. Congratulations for breaking the chains of fear with your junoon (passion) & commitment. Our teams are in place to maintain contact with those arrested & their families. pic.twitter.com/xJcXM9V4Oi

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 26, 2023

Meanwhile, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry in a statement said that the police in Peshawar and Multan had refused to arrest the party workers during the ‘court arrest’ movement.

Also read: Multan-leg of PTI's 'Jail Bharo Tehreek' also ends with no arrests

He said that more than 200 workers are in different jails in Lahore and Rawalpindi, adding that the detained activists had refused to file bail applications in the court.

Earlier today, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the government would first direct PTI leaders and workers – who voluntarily presented themselves for arrests – to far-off jails before sending them to prisons in Lahore or Rawalpindi.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, the minister said that between 100 to 150 people have thus far courted arrests as part of the PTI's 'Jail Bharo' movement.

"Eighty per cent of the arrested ones are asking to be released," claimed Sanaullah as he revealed that all participants of the PTI's drive have been taken into custody for 30 days.

"You wished to go to jail, so you have been sent there," he said mockingly, adding that "we are making you visit the jails so you can acquaint yourselves with the conditions there".

Meanwhile, several petitions have been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC), with complainants expressing fears that the arrested PTI leaders and workers may be falsely accused of involvement in unlawful activities to cause them "maximum harm", adding that they have been transported to "some unknown place" to "torture" them.