RAWALPINDI: Police have profiled about 250 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders, facilitators, financers, active workers and supporters, including members of the national and provincial assemblies, who had reportedly been involved in the May 25 ‘Haqiqi Azadi March’ of the party.

According to sources, the aim to prepare their profiles was to pinpoint all those who had been involved in the protest, violence and damaging public property.

The sources said they were profiled for keeping a close eye on them, detain them in case the PTI leadership announces another long march to Islamabad demanding early general elections.

All the PTI leaders, activists and workers have been categorised in three tiers according to their positions, political roles and working, said the sources, adding members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and members of provincial assemblies (MPAs) have been categorised as tier ‘I’ leadership, those who contested general elections and could not win, active financers and facilitators included in tier ‘II’ and the remaining workers and activists placed in tier ‘III’.

The law enforcement agencies had arrested 107 people, majority of them PTI local leaders, activists and workers.

As many as 21 of them were released from police stations after the long march was called off by PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

According to the sources, a similar list of about 170 PTI leaders, workers and activists had also been prepared by intelligence agencies in the provincial capital and shared with the Rawalpindi police.

Following the ‘Azadi March’, the Rawalpindi police had booked more than 450 leaders and workers of the PTI local chapter and Awami Muslim League (AML). Some of them were arrested on various charges ranging from deterring the police from discharging their duty and violating government ban on gathering of more than five people.

The sources said the profiles of the PTI leaders and workers were prepared with the help of intelligence reports and cases registered against them during the long march.

The government has already announced to take strict action against those who tried to take the law into their hands on the pretext of the political activity and tried to enter the federal capital territory.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2022