BAHAWALPUR: The Multan leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) accused the district administration of arresting several of its activists and office-bearers during the I-Day rally on Wednesday night.

According to a PTI announcement, the arrested office-bearers included party’s Multan president.

According to another report, the PTI rally participants clashed with police officials in Vehari on Wednesday night.

As per PTI office-bearers, police arrested district president Multan Khalid Javed Wariach and several other workers who were lodged in the lock-ups of different police stations in the city.

Besides, Lohari Gate Multan police also took into custody a senior lawyer Ziaullah, who went to police station to get his arrested son freed, but there he was arrested after a clash with the station house officer. However, after the intervention of the higher police officials, Ziaullah was released from police station.

In Vehari before the rally, a heavy contingent of police launched a crackdown on PTI office from where a number of workers, including former nazim Sajjad Khan Khichi, and others were taken into custody.

Later, a large number of PTI workers appeared and after breaking the police cordon managed to take out a big a rally, led by former MNA Tahir Iqbal Chaudhry, Rana Fakhrul Islam, Sheikh Fazalur Rehman advocate and Sheikh Khurram Wahead. At that time, the participants averted police attempt to arrest former MNA Tahir Iqbal. The rally dispersed after taking a round of various thoroughfares, including Jinnah road.

BUILDING: South Punjab Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Fuad Hashim Rabbani has said that Multan south Punjab secretariat would soon be shifted to its new building on Mattital road.

At a function in Multan on Thursday, the ACS said as the Multan secretariat building at a cost of billions of rupees has been completed, the shifting of secretariat offices would be taken in hand soon.

He expressed the hope that this Multan new secretariat building would play a pivotal role in the uplift of this region.

He said under the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, a target of over 200,000 plants has been fixed in south Punjab during the current monsoon campaign.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2024