RAWALPINDI: After the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) imposed Section 144 on Thursday, police launched a crackdown against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) and Awami Muslim League (AML) workers and activists in the garrison city.

The arrests come a day before Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid were to hold a public meeting at the Lal Haveli and on Thursday night, police had surrounded the venue and began closing shops in the area, in anticipation of a showdown. Sources in the police department said the AML leader would not be allowed to hold a rally.

“Section 144 has been initially imposed for two days, but the Punjab government may extend it further,” District Coordination Officer (DCO) Talat Mehmood Gondal told Dawn.

Police raided PTI offices in several localities and detained at least 20 political workers, even though the party claimed the number was much higher.

PTI Punjab North President Amir Kiani told Dawn: “More than 26 active PTI workers have been arrested, including two brothers of MPA Ijaz Khan Jazi, but we asked our workers to evade arrest ahead of Nov 2.”

Sheikh Rashid vows to defy Section 144; traders distance themselves from PTI, AML protest

Those rounded up were shifted to undisclosed locations and are likely to be booked under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

But a defiant Sheikh Rashid, flanked by PTI Rawalpindi Chapter office-bearers and MPA Ijaz Khan Jazi, announced his intention to defy section 144 in Rawalpindi.

“We will break section 144 and the public meeting at Lal Haveli will be held as per schedule. We will also bring a rally from Rawalpindi to Islamabad,” he told a press conference at the National Press Club.

When asked about the Islamabad High Court’s summons, he said that he would not appear before the court. Declaring that he was not afraid of going to prison, Mr Rashid insisted that the government, scared by the public resentment generated by the Panama Papers leak, was using its old tactics to harass AML and PTI workers.

He also accused the PML-N government of engineering a controversy about the Lal Haveli through Siddiqul Farooq, who is chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).

He claimed that Lal Haveli was his private property and that both Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif had visited him several times, but had never complained that it was illegally built. But when Imran Khan announced his intention to visit, it was immediately declared illegal.

On Thursday afternoon, the Rawal Town Municipal Administration (RTMA) also removed all PTI and AML banners on Murree Road and Raja Bazaar, under the supervision of local police.

“We removed the banners and posters as per routine and there was no specific action against any political party,” said a senior RTMA official.

Commissioner Azmat Mehmood had invited leaders of local traders’ associations to his office on Thursday afternoon to meet with PML-N MNA Hamza Shahbaz, but the meeting was cancelled.

“We received a message from the Commissioner Office’s that Hamza Shahbaz wanted to meet traders in connection with the PTI, AML and PAT protest,” said Naveed Kanwal, a spokesperson for the Rawalpindi Traders Association.

He said traders were united in their resolve that they would not become part of any political adventure by the PTI or any other political party.

Police reinforcements

On Thursday, reinforcements from other districts of Punjab started arriving in Rawalpindi to assist local police in maintaining law and order.

Police have been equipped with extra-long batons and riot gear, but no one has been issued ammunition or assault weapons.

Intelligence operatives have reportedly told police that PTI workers and activists are bringing a large quantity of gas masks and batons, while others are likely to purchase them in the days leading up to Nov 2.

In view of this, as many as 12 shops that sell such equipment have been identified and police have been asked to prohibit them from selling police or army surplus material to protesters.

Bus and wagon terminals operating in the garrison city have also been asked not to rent out their vehicles for any political procession or rally.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2016