By-election aftermath: PTI protesters on The Mall arrested, released

Arrests made for violating ban on rallies on The Mall, PTI vows more protests.

LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders and dozens of workers were arrested and their protest camp at Charing Cross uprooted by police on Saturday.

They were released fairly quickly after Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif issued an order in this regard. Most of them responded by returning to the Mall and blocking it for traffic.

Cars carrying around 30 supporters of Mehar Wajid, the losing candidate from PP-150 who is demanding a recount in PP-150, arrived at the Charing Cross.

A police squad was already present. The PTI workers were told to disperse and were arrested for their refusal for violation of a ban on public rallies on the Mall.

PTI’s Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhary arrived on the scene at around 11.45 am and gave a speech to newsmen. The police took him and his supporters into custody as well.

Opposition leader in the provincial assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rashid arrived around 12.30pm and condemned the arrests as oppressive and undemocratic. He said the PTI would continue to protest against rigging in elections and expand the protest.

Operations DIG Rai Tahir arrived at Charing Cross next and told PTI leaders that the workers had not been arrested on specific orders from the government as alleged. He said they had been arrested for violating Section 144.

The Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif too took notice of the incident and ordered the police to release the arrested workers, who had been taken to various police stations, including Anarkali and Race Course.

Once he was released, Chaudhary arrived at the Lahore Press Club with his supporters and was joined by Rashid and workers from Kasur and Sheikhupra.

Nearly 200 PTI workers walked from the Lahore Press Club to the Assembly chambers, chanting slogans against the government and demanding a fair recount of by-election. The party also announced to hold protest demonstrations province-wide and in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa.

PTI workers have now set up a camp next to the Assembly chambers and have vowed to protest until their demands have been met.

Chauhdary said the PTI would not participate in any talks until the returning officer declared the success of the party’s candidate in PP-150.

“We are ready for arrests if the need arises,” he said.

He condemned the manhandling of MPA Nausheen Hamid and PTI’s Information Secretary Andleeb Abbas.

“PTI’s candidate Mehar Wajid won the PP-150 by-elections with a margin of 2,000 votes,” he said.

“The returning officer declared PML-N’s Mian Margoob winner. This is blatant rigging.”

He said the PTI would hold demonstrations across the province to protest the “police violence.”

“We came in peace to stage a hunger strike,” he said.

He said the party would start more protests from Monday.

“Our protest will continue until the real results of the PP-150 are announced,” he saId. He said the initial plan was to meet for a certain number of hours every day until the government paid attention to their demands.

Mehar Wajid, said, "I will file and application for recount
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Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2013.