ISLAMABAD: As many as four dozen PTI workers who were arrested on Saturday after the former ruling party held a rally in Islamabad in violation of Section 144 were sent to Adiala Jail on judicial remand on Sunday.

PTI Islamabad President Ali Nawaz Awan told Dawn that it was a clear violation of basic human rights as the rally was held after seeking permission from Islamabad High Court (IHC). “Moreover, it is strange that Section 144 is imposed in Islamabad for the last six months; ideally it should be imposed for 10 days only,” he claimed.

Mr Awan said that the police had registered cases in four police stations against 180 workers and leaders of the PTI, including Asad Umar, Ali Nawaz Awan and Raja Khurram Nawaz.

It is worth mentioning that the police detained PTI workers for creating a law and order situation and getting into a physical confrontation with the officials during a rally taken out by the party to express solidarity with the Supreme Court on Saturday.

The police had claimed that they tried to be lenient with the participants of the rally in order to avoid a confrontation with participants during the movement of the visiting Chinese delegation but later they were left with no option but to arrest them after they blocked traffic. It is worth mentioning the Chinese and Afghan delegations visited Islamabad on the same day.

On Sunday, a local court sent around four dozen workers of PTI to jail. The Margalla police produced 45 PTI workers in the court and the judge sent all of them to jail.

Six PTI workers were produced in the court by the Khanna police, but, as per Mr Awan, the court released them because of a lack of evidence. However, one worker, who was arrested by the Khanna police with a weapon, was sent to jail on judicial remand by the duty magistrate.

Mr Awan claimed four cases were registered against 180 supporters and over 60 PTI workers were arrested by the Islamabad police. “We had sought approval [for rally] from IHC Judge Babar Sattar…but the government did not accept the court orders,” he claimed.

Mr Awan claimed the police raided a number of houses in Rawat and other areas of the city on Sunday to arrest workers. “I cannot confirm the exact number of workers who have been arrested on Sunday, but arrests have been made,” he added.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2023