LAHORE: Police have registered cases against PML-N leaders who had reached a police station after the arrest of the party’s Punjab Assembly member Khwaja Imran Nazir.

Chuhng police booked PML-N Punjab information secretary Azma Bukhari, former federal health minister Saira Afzal Tarar, provincial party leader Ata Tarar and others for violating standard operating procedures (SOPs) related to Covid-19 while thronging the police station, where Khwaja Imran was lodged in the lock-up, and for delivering provoking speeches there.

At least 21 PML-N leaders have been nominated in the FIR while 40 ‘unknown’ workers have also been booked in the FIR registered on an application of the station house officer (SHO).

The PML-N had staged a sit-in on the Multan Road, close to Chuhng police station, blocking it for traffic to protest against the arrest. Various party leaders alleged that the arrest and cases were politically motivated as a special wing had been established in the Lahore police for targeting N-League workers.

They claimed that Safe City cameras’ aid had been sought in identifying and blocking Khwaja Imran’s vehicle.

The party is terming the arrest and the new case a move by the ruling PTI to thwart the 11-party opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement’s public meeting to be held in Lahore next month.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2020