ISLAMABAD: Two more cases were registered on Saturday against former prime minister Imran Khan and a number of Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarians in connection with the party’s May 25 ‘Haqiqi Azadi March’, police said.

One of the cases was registered at the Margalla police station under sections 186, 353, 148, 149, 506ii, 341, 188 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

According to the FIR, MNAs Khurram Nawaz, Ali Nawaz Awan, Union Council F-8 vice chairman Mian Amjad and Malik Rafiq Awan along with 400 unidentified people blocked Jinnah Avenue near Khayaban Bridge.

They were holding party flags and chanting anti-government slogans.

The participants got angry when they were informed about the imposition of Section 144 in the capital and pelted the police with stones and damaged government and private vehicles.

Number of cases registered against lawmakers, party workers reaches 16 in capital, say police

They moved ahead threatening the police with dire consequences and holding weapons, the FIR claimed. However, the police later succeeded in dispersing the protesters.

Another case was registered at the Sihala police station under sections 188, 353, 186, 147, 149 and 109 of the PPC.

According to the FIR, a rally of 200 people carrying PTI flags and holding batons appeared on Kak Bridge.

The rally, led by PTI leaders, was intercepted and informed about the imposition of Section 144. However, the party leaders at the behest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, MNAs Raja Khurram Nawaz and Ali Nawaz Awan provoked the participants. As a result, they put up resistance against the police and pelted them with stones, the FIR said, adding that they also attacked the police with batons. They put up resistance against the police and after removing barricades moved ahead.

The number of cases registered against the PTI leaders in Islamabad has reached 16.

According to the police, three cases were registered in Kohsar, two each in Bhara Kahu, Golra and Tarnol and one case each at Aabpara, Karachi Company, Koral, Loi Bher, Margalla, Secretariat and Sihala police stations.

Besides the PTI chief, former speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, parliamentarians Asad Umer, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Zartaj Gul, Faisal Javaid, Saifullah Niazi, Ali Amin Gandapur, Ali Nawaz Awan, Shireen Mazari, Shafqat Mehmood, Amir Kiani, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Pervaiz Khattak, Imran Ismail, Ali Mohammad Khan, Murad Saeed, Shah Farman and Sheikh Rashid Ahmed along with 1,675 other people have been booked in these cases.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2022