ISLAMABAD: The capital police registered another case against the local leadership and workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), booking over a hundred people under separate criminal charges.

The case was registered at the Industrial Area police station under Sections 324, 341, 435, 186, 188, 353, 148, 440, 436, 382, 109 and 427 of the PPC, along with Section 8 of the PAPO Act.

According to the FIR, a police contingent was deployed at Faizabad for law and order duty when, all of a sudden, a gathering of 100 to 120 people armed with batons, stones, iron rods, slingshots and PTI flags appeared from different sides of Rawalpindi and Murree Road on vehicles and motorcycles.

They chanted anti-government, anti-police, anti-state and anti-institution slogans and reached close to the police contingent. They also blocked the road for the general public.

The gathering was informed about Section 144 of the CrPC imposed in Islamabad, under which their assembly was unlawful and in violation of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, the FIR alleged.

“They were asked to disperse peacefully; however, they attacked the police with batons, stones, iron rods and slingshots. They also beat policemen, snatched anti-riot gear from them and set the gear on fire.”

They beat and injured three police officials and tore the uniforms of two others.

More police contingents were called to the area, and later, 23 participants of the gathering were arrested, while the rest managed to escape. Those who were arrested told police that the ones who fled were workers and activists of the PTI.

They said they had received instructions from the local leadership of the PTI to continue the protest until the release of the party’s founder.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2025