On Saturday, Islamabad police arrested former Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, his wife Humaira Tayyaba, and numerous Jamaat-e-Islami protesters during a demonstration in support of Palestine.
The arrests occurred as the protesters attempted to gather at D-Chowk. The police had previously established a strong presence at Express Chowk, announcing that no protests would be permitted there. They declared they were fully prepared to prevent any demonstrations, with prisoner transport vans and female officers deployed.
The police confirmed that Ahmed was arrested for violating Section 144 of the CrPC, which bans public gatherings. A video shared on X (formerly Twitter) showed Ahmed being dragged to a police van while criticizing the police for allegedly assaulting children. Ahmed was seen chanting “From the river to the sea” and making a victory sign.
The Save Gaza Campaign shared another video of Mushtaq Ahmed in a dispute with a government official over the protest location. The official suggested relocating to the press club, which Ahmed refused, claiming that the deputy commissioner had approved the protest at the designated site.
Tayyaba noted that the protesters had promised not to block any roads.
In related news, a health official reported that a polio vaccine campaign has started in Gaza. Pro-Palestinian protesters are calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In Islamabad, protesters ended their sit-in as police attempted to arrest Senator Ghani from Jamaat-e-Islami.
The conflict in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, has resulted in the deaths of 1,199 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s subsequent military actions have caused at least 40,691 deaths in Gaza, with the majority being women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry. The UN rights office reports that the ongoing Israeli bombardment has led to a severe humanitarian crisis and devastated the region’s health system.
