LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court seeking contempt of court proceedings against Punjab authorities for arresting its workers in violation of a judicial order.

A local PTI leader, Zubair Khan Niazi, contended in his petition that the high court had restrained police from extending any illegal harassment to the workers. However, he said, the police ignored the order and launched a crackdown on PTI workers across the province. He said raids were being conducted on the houses of party workers and their families were being harassed and humiliated.

The petitioner said workers wanted to participate in Azadi March at Islamabad to exercise their constitutional right to hold a peaceful protest. He said the police committed contempt of court by arresting the workers.

He asked the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the government authorities and order immediate release of the arrested workers.

The Punjab law minister, IGP and DIG (Operations) have been made party in the petition.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2014