MUZAFFARGARH: The police raided the houses of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and activists across multiple districts on Thursday night and Friday. They arrested several ticket holders, district office bearers, and activists for their participation in protests organised by the party’s high command.

The Layyah police raided the outhouse of former PTI MNA Abdul Majeed Khan Niazi and registered a case against him and his supporters for allegedly firing at a police party in Lal Eesan Cror. The police said that on Thursday night, gunfire erupted at the outhouse of the ex-MNA, but fortunately, no injuries were reported. The police were conducting a raid when Mr Niazi and his people opened fire. According to the first information report (FIR), Mr Niazi and his associate Ashair Ajmal Niazi are accused of attempting to kill police officials by shooting directly at them. Despite the attack, the police officials remained unharmed.

The FIR states that the suspects fled towards Rajan Shah Minor after the incident. Police gathered evidence from the scene and said that they would make arrests soon. The police alleged that heavy gunfire lasted for an hour at Mr Niazi’s outhouse, but they managed to control the situation. The police case involves charges like attempted murder and assault on police under sections 324, 353, 186, and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Mr Niazi, however, accused the police’s actions as an attempt to instil fear and declared the allegations baseless, stating he would seek legal recourse against the police.

In Kot Addu, the police arrested PTI MPA Rana Aurangzeb Ashraf and several members during a raid at his outhouse, where he was preparing for protests. Moreover, Shafiq Malana, president of the Kot Addu District Bar Association, and his elderly father were also detained. This triggered lawyers to shut the gates of the courthouse in protest and chant slogans against the police. They announced a boycott of court proceedings in solidarity.

Earlier, the police had raided the homes of PTI MNA Dr Shabbir Qureshi and MPA Mian Ahsan Qureshi in Kot Addu, but both were not present at the time. Several of their supporters, including Majid Bukhari and advocate Jawad, were arrested. Lawyers have approached the Lahore High Court, Multan Bench, to challenge the arrests.

SAHIWAL: The police arrested key PTI figures at Bhandari Chowk, where they had gathered. Among those arrested were Rana Amir Shahzad, NA-141 ticket holder, Rana Aaftab, PTI district president, and Mian Naveed Aslam, along with other local leaders.

Sources said that police had raided the homes of party workers the night before but found no one. PTI leaders chanted slogans against both the Punjab and federal governments, demanding Imran Khan’s release. The arrested leaders were taken to the Civil Line Police Station.

Unexpectedly, PTI MNA from NA-142, Chaudhry Usman, was notably absent from the protest. According to local sources, there are suspicions that he may have shifted allegiances to the PML-N ahead of upcoming constitutional reforms.

TOBA TEK SINGH: In Toba Tek Singh, a large gathering of PTI activists demonstrated at Saleemi Chowk on Satiana Road.

Police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, who then sought refuge in nearby streets but continued chanting anti-government slogans in small groups.

In Faisalabad, police parked containers and trucks at Clock Tower Chowk to block all eight bazaars, preventing protesters from reaching the site.

In Jhang, the police sealed off areas where PTI supporters were expected to gather. PTI-backed MNA Chaudhry Nisar Jat from Faisalabad reported that police had cordoned off his residence in Dhandhra to prevent his workers from staging a demonstration. Meanwhile, members of the district bar association in Toba observed a strike to condemn the alleged mistreatment of students in Lahore by police during protests related to harassment at a private college.

SARGODHA: PTI activists staged protests in groups across the city. The protests led to clashes with police, who not only arrested the demonstrators but also reportedly apprehended journalists covering the event. Journalists claim their mobile phones were confiscated, and they were assaulted by the police while trying to film the crackdown. However, police denied these accusations, insisting that the arrested individuals were protesters posing as journalists.

The tense stand-off between police and PTI supporters lasted over an hour, during which more than a dozen protesters were arrested.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2024