RAWALPINDI: As the political environment is highly charged in the country with political parties making their canvassing efforts, supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf clashed with police in different parts of Rawalpindi city where Pakistan People’s Party was holding a public rally at Liaquat Bagh on Sunday.

Police took more than 25 workers of the PTI into custody for violating Section 144 and offering resistance to the police in maintaining law and order.

In response to PTI’s founder Imran Khan’s call to hold rallies across the country as part of the electioneering campaign, the party’s supporters appeared on roads in Gulzar-i-Quaid, Saidpur Road, Gorakhpur, Chak Bailee, Adiala Road, Dhamial and Jatli and tried to hold rallies.

The caretaker Punjab government has imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) across the province in the wake of security risks ahead of the polls. No permission had been sought by the PTI to hold rallies as required by the ECP’s code of conduct, said the police.

Hide and seek between the police and PTI supporters occurred as the police tried to disperse them by resorting to baton charges in Gulzar-i-Quaid, Saidpur Road, Jatli and Adiala.

However, the police took more than 25 PTI workers into custody and shifted them to Airport and New Town police stations.

A police official said the PTI workers were detained in violation of Section 144 and offering resistance to the police. Till the filing of this report, no further details about the registration of cases were available.

PTI local leaders had announced to bring out the main rally in city areas but failed to communicate the venue to the workers and supporters.

PTI former MPA Rashid Hafeez issued a video message on social media about the main rally on Saturday night.

However, he issued another video message on social media about police raids on the election offices of the party candidates and urged the election commission to stop the police harassment.

However, few people organised a rally on the old Airport Road. Few women workers also arrived in cars on the spot and tried to close the road but the police dispersed them. They were chanting slogans in favour of Imran Khan.

On the other hand, a small rally was organised in the cantonment area at Dheri Hasanabad. PTI candidate for PP-15 Zayad Kiani told Dawn that he brought out a rally but in other parts of the city and cantonment no rally could be held. He said people were picked up by police from election offices of the PTI candidates.

Another party leader requesting not to be named said PTI workers or voters were not coming in front in fear of police but they will vote for the party candidates. He said all main local leaders were underground and they were contacting people to vote for the PTI through social media.

Meanwhile, in Islamabad, some workers of PTI also tried to hold a rally at Karachi Company, G-9 Markaz, but were stopped by the police.

Most of the party workers spent the day distributing pamphlets in houses and trying to encourage people to cast their vote in favour of PTI on Feb 8.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2024

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