Outside Imran Khan’s house: Police arrest protesters from Bani Gala

K-P’s contractual employees to protest at D-Chowk now.

ISLAMABAD: As many as 29 protesters were arrested by the Secretariat police from outside the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman in Bani Gala for violation of Section 144 on Saturday.

Contractual employees of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government have been staging a sit-in outside Khan’s residence for the last two months demanding regularisation.

They were arrested in response to a complaint by the Secretariat magistrate, said a police official.

Magistrate (Secretariat) Ghulam Murtaza Chandio in his complaint stated that the protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against Khan and K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, despite imposition of Section 144 in the city.

Secretariat SHO Muhammad Nawaz Bhatti confirmed the protesters were arrested over the compliant by Chandio.

The magistrate told The Express Tribune that the protesters had blocked Murree Road for half an hour despite imposition of Section 144.

He said that FIR was registered under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) and 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions).

The contractual employees include teachers and polio workers associated with the K-P Workers Welfare Board (WWB).

WWB President Younas Marwat condemned the arrest of their workers.

“We will now stage a protest at the D-Chowk, exactly where Imran Khan staged his sit-in and fooled us,” he said.

Marwat said that the workers had a right to protest and they had remained peaceful.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2015.