TAXILA: As many as 100 people including the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) MPA were booked on charges of besieging police station and blocking road.

They were protesting against the police’s manhandling of an under-trial prisoner.

The city police led by SI Ayub on Thursday allegedly beat up Malik Tayyub, a resident of Mohallah Eidgah. He was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in critical condition.

Following the incident, hundreds of protesters including PTI activists and its MPA Siddique Khan laid siege to the police station and later blocked Taxila- Hattar Road.

As the protesters raised slogans against the Punjab government and police, the local administration officials reached the spot and restored traffic after successful negotiations with them. However, the police on Friday registered a case against the protesters.

Talking to newsmen, the PTI MPA said the city had virtually turned into police state.

He said instead of taking action against the policemen, the local administration had registered cases against people who were demanding justice.

He said the policemen who had been serving in the area for the last many years had been deployed in the area again in violation of police posting rules just to serve the interests of the ruling party.

He said the PTI leaders and workers were not afraid of such cases. “We will fight for justice,” he added.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2015

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