Punjab crackdown: Nearly 150 PTI, PAT supporters detained

Both Imran and Qadri had asked supporters to join them in their march towards Red Zone

MULTAN: As twin protests in Islamabad entered a fifth day on Tuesday, police said they had arrested some 150 supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek overnight in Punjab in a crackdown ahead of widening demonstrations in the capital. The Punjab police arrested 147 supporters of PTI chief Imran Khan and PAT leader Dr Tahirul Qadri overnight to prevent them joining the protests in Islamabad, said Inspector Rana Hussain in Sargodha. Both Imran and Qadri had asked their supporters and neutral Pakistanis on Monday to join them in their Tuesday’s march towards the Red Zone, the high security area where key government buildings and foreign diplomatic missions are located.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th,2014.