ISLAMABAD: The capital police booked a former senator and 350 others on several charges, including pelting the law enforcers with stones and threatening them with dire consequences, after they organised a protest at Express Chowk in connection with Palestine. Police also attempted to detain former Jamaat-i-Islami senator Mushtaq Ahmad near a metro station on Jinnah Avenue, but returned empty-handed.

A police official told Dawn a contingent intercepted the senator when he was “moving in a car along with some female members” of his family. The police led by a senior officer threatened the senator, allegedly used expletives against him and his family, and made efforts to arrest him on Sunday night, he added.

However, some passersby assembled there and started making videos of the incident, prompting the police to leave the spot without making the arrest, the official added.

On Sunday, the Save Gaza Campaign organised a protest at Express Chowk against the Israeli atrocities in Gaza. The protest was led by former JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan.

Since the protest was organised without prior permission, a case was registered at the Kohsar police station under sections 148, 149, 353, 341, 427, 186, 188, and 506ii of the PPC along with Sections 2 and 3 of Amplifier Act in response to the complaint lodged by SHO Kohsar Shafqat Faiz.

According to the FIR, a police contingent along with capital administration officials was present near Express Chowk for law and order duty in connection with the protest call. Around 2pm, a gathering led by the JI ex-senator converged at Express Chowk, with a sound system installed on a pickup truck from which the protesters chanted slogans and delivered speeches against the government’s institutions, the FIR said, adding that the protesters were informed about the ban on gatherings and proclamation of Section 144. They were further informed that they did not even have the permission to stage a protest.

The FIR said that the police told protesters that they could stage the protest on the greenbelt by the roadside without causing hindrance to the movement of the public.

The FIR added that the capital administration offered alternative venues, including the National Press Club, for the protest, but the protesters still insisted on going to D-Chowk for the protest and continued their protest near Express Chowk with 300 to 350 participants.

Subsequently, on the call of the former senator the protesters allegedly armed with batons, started marching towards the D-Chowk, the FIR said, adding that the protesters also resisted the police action as they tried to intercept the demo.

They also pelted the police with stones, the FIR said, adding that some of the police officials were also injured. The protesters also blocked Express Chowk and both lanes of Jinnah Avenue, the FIR said, adding that the protesters were, however, intercepted through a “well-planned strategy” before they could reach the D-Chowk. The FIR said the participants would be identified via safe city cameras and other means.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2024