Arrests & clashes as poll campaigns heat up

Police arrest over 150, including PTI-backed independents

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi police have apprehended more than 150 individuals, including former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leaders now contesting as independent candidates in the upcoming general elections.

The arrests have been made on various charges as contestants joined the electoral fray through campaigning activities such as rallies and marches.

The police have registered 15 cases against several contestants and their supporters for violating Section 144, which prohibits political gatherings and processions in different parts of the city, including Cantonment spaces and surrounding areas. In most cases, people were also held on account of resisting the police, blocking traffic and roads, and violating the Sound System Act.

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A notable incident involved a rally in front of Adiala Jail’s Gate 5, where PTI founder chairman Imran Khan is imprisoned. Police booked five supporters, alleging they carried weapons during the public gathering and resisted police intervention.

Sources suggest that the supporters responded to Khan’s call to commence election campaigning, leading to rallies not only in Rawalpindi but across the country.

However, these actions met with police intervention due to the violation of Section 144 imposed by the Punjab government, resulting in clashes between workers and law enforcement in various locations in Rawalpindi city and the Cantt area.

The 15 cases have been registered in the police stations of New Town, Pir Wadhai, Ganj Mandi, Waris Khan, Civil Line, Airport, Saddar Beroni, Dhamial, Jatli, Chontra and others.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2024.