PTI Islamabad protest: Imran, Bushra booked on terrorism charges

A case has been registered against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and former President Dr Arif Alvi, along with several senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, in connection with violent protests held on November 24.

The charges were filed at Taxila Police Station under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism laws, Express News reported.

Prominent PTI members named in the case include opposition leader Umar Ayub, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Ali Amin Gandapur, Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, former minister Azam Swati, Taimur Masood, and Shehryar Riaz. Over 300 local PTI leaders and activists are also implicated.

The case details alleged damage to government vehicles and a motorcycle, with further claims that demonstrators abducted and assaulted a police driver before releasing him. Police stated that Imran Khan orchestrated plans for the protest from Adiala Jail, reportedly directing party leaders to organise a “march on Islamabad.”

The first information report (FIR), numbered 2594, cites multiple charges, including obstructing government operations, violating Section 144, damaging private and public property, and causing road blockades.

In response to Imran Khan’s call for action, PTI rallies led by Chief Minister Gandapur reportedly set off from K-P toward Islamabad on 24 November. As the convoys entered Punjab, confrontations broke out between police and protesters, with PTI workers pelting stones and police responding with tear gas.

Furthermore, PTI embarked on a collision course with the government on Sunday as it finally started marching toward the federal capital after refusing to call off the 'final' protest call given by the imprisoned party founder Imran Khan for his release, among other things.

The routes leading to the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been closed with containers and heavy contingents of the law-enforcement agencies (LEA) personnel were deployed to meet any eventuality.

The PTI rallies from K-P led by CM Ali Amin Gandapur, as well as from different cities of Punjab, began advancing towards the D-Chowk – located right in front of the Parliament House in the Red Zone of the federal capital.

A large PTI procession from K-P entered Punjab from the Attock bridge, Chach Interchange and Ghazi Barotha Canal. The convoy of vehicles stopped at Ghazi for a while, where Chief Minister Gandapur and Bushra Bibi, wife of Imran Khan, addressed the supporters urging them to move forward.

When another convoy, coming from Haripur, reached the Attock Bridge, the police resorted to tear gas shelling. The protesters, meanwhile, set fire to the green belts around them, while a Suzuki van parked at Ghazi Bridge was also torched. A policeman was injured when directly hit by a motorcycle rider.

The PTI, after entering Punjab, changed its strategy and directed the convoys coming from the Hazara Division, which had reached Taxila under the leadership of Omar Ayub, to join Gandapur-led convoy. Clashes were also reported from the Isakhel Interchange in Dera Ismail Khan.

The PTI gave its final call for the protest to meet its four demands: release of all political prisoners, including Imran Khan, reversal of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, restoration of democracy and Constitution in the country and return of allegedly "stolen mandate".