LAHORE: A Lahore High Court full bench on Tuesday restrained Punjab police from harassing and arresting Tehreek-i-Insaf workers in the wake of 'Azadi March" to be held on Aug 14 in Islamabad.

The bench passed this order on a petition filed by PTI lawyers' wing leader Hasan Awais and also summoned the inspector general of police and the capital city police officer on Wednesday (today).

Advocate Ahmad Awais, representing the petitioner, argued that police had been arresting their party workers to restrain them from participating in "Azadi March" announced by PTI chief Imran Khan.

He said all main roads had been blocked across the province and PTI workers were being disallowed to move towards Islamabad. Even common citizens were compelled to stay at homes due to blocking of roads.

Advocate Awais argued that the impugned acts of the government were in sheer violation of fundamental rights protected under the Constitution.

The three-judge bench, headed by Justice Mahmood Ahmad Bhatti, summoned the IGP and the CCPO on Wednesday (today) at 9:30am and restrained the police from large-scale arrest of PTI workers.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2014