LAHORE: The Punjab Police, yet again, pounced on Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers and blocked them from going to Islamabad for the party’s mass public meeting, which was eventually postponed.

The PTI leadership said the PML-N government has failed as the party’s public meeting was “successful without being held”.

The PTI leaders and workers reached Thokar Niaz Beg to gather and move to Islamabad by the motorway but the police blocked them and those who managed to sneak towards the motorway were stopped on the motorway.

At Thokar Niaz Beg, police arrested party’s Lahore President Imtiaz Sheikh and detained him at Nawab Town Police Station. The party workers gathered outside the police station and reportedly scuffled with policemen.

They told Dawn that police had also arrested several workers and added that the party had arranged vehicles and workers were enthusiastic to reach Islamabad.

Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar told the media persons at Thokar Niaz Beg that the PML-N rulers had become fascists and they were not letting a political party even to protest peacefully. He said the PTI’s caravan of some 300 vehicles was ready to leave for Islamabad via motorway and added that the party would approach the court against the imposition of Section 144.

Stating that the party’s Lahore president and other workers had been arrested, Mr Bhachar said ‘the TikTok chief minister’ had made his party’s public meeting successful by blocking its workers on roads.

The opposition leader also went to the police stations where party leaders and workers were detained.

report sought: The Lahore High Court on Thursday summoned a detailed report from the Punjab government on a petition seeking recovery of PTI workers, including 20 women, who were allegedly detained ahead of the party’s now cancelled rally in Islamabad.

A law officer representing the government told the court that PTI-Lahore President Imtiaz Sheikh had been arrested as a case was registered against him, but no other workers who accompanied him have been detained.

The petitioner’s lawyer pointed out that the court was being misled, claiming that the workers had indeed been arrested and that they were told they would be released after 5pm.

Justice Shakil Ahmad asked the petitioner’s counsel if a bailiff should be appointed for the recovery of the detained individuals.

During the hearing, DIG Operations Faisal Kamran, Addi-IG Legal Muhammad Hussain Chauhan and other officers appeared before the court.

The judge directed the government’s lawyer to furnish a detailed report on Friday (today).

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2024