LAHORE, Nov 15: Some 35 Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) workers were arrested on Thursday while staging a peaceful protest demonstration in Barkat Market, Garden Town.

Those arrested included 20 female workers, including three sisters and four cousins of PTI Chief Imran Khan. Later, police released 20 party women.

A heavy contingent of police was present at Barkat Market before the arrival of protesters. When party workers arrived there in cars at around 3:45pm, policemen pounced on them soon they raised the first slogan and displayed the first placard under the leadership of PTI Lahore President Shabbir Sial. Though Mr Sial and PTI Coordinator Ahmad Nasir courted arrest, police baton-charged and thrashed other protesters, who tried to resist arrest.

Police thrashed a boy, tore apart his shirt and vest and bundled him into a police van.

Talat Naqvi, PTI office-bearer who tried to come to the young lad’s rescue, later on condemned police highhandedness. She told reporters the PTI workers had come out to save national heroes Imran Khan and Abdul Qadeer Khan. “We want justice,” she demanded.

Ms Naqvi was herself later arrested along with 19 other women after the authorities dispatched a contingent of policewomen to the spot. In the interim, policemen encircled the female protesters so that they could not escape.

Some women workers were dragged, and plainclothesmen did eventually throw off the mask of decency to push them inside the bus. The arrested women included Aleema Khan, Rani, Uzma, Saloni Bukhari and Salma Ejaz Chaudhry.

Later, 20 party women, who were detained by the police were released, a capital city police official said.

He said seven PTI activists, who were also arrested at the demonstration, would be booked and cases would be registered against them in Garden Town police station.