Senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including the party’s chairman, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, were arrested by Islamabad Police on Monday amid an intensified crackdown following a rally in the capital’s Sangjani area.
Sher Afzal Marwat was detained while leaving a National Assembly session, and Shoaib Shaheen was apprehended at his residence. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was taken into custody outside the parliament in what appeared to be a coordinated operation.
Additionally, Marwat’s private security guard was arrested for allegedly resisting the police during the operation.
In a related development, President Zardari modified the code of conduct for rallies in Islamabad.
Authorities have sealed off the Red Zone in Islamabad, raising concerns that more PTI leaders could be targeted. Police stated that the arrests were tied to an FIR filed after the Sangjani rally, which had overrun the time limits imposed by authorities.
Further arrests of key figures, including Umar Ayub and Zartaj Gul, are anticipated. Police cited a range of charges, including violating rally rules, clashing with police, and delivering anti-state speeches at the gathering.
PTI members Ali Muhammad Khan and Aamir Dogar managed to leave Parliament House without incident, while other leaders, including Barrister Gohar, Zain Qureshi, and Waqas Akram, returned to the National Assembly seeking protection from the ongoing crackdown.
PTI sources confirmed that Zartaj Gul narrowly avoided arrest, escaping by vehicle. Police are actively pursuing her and other leaders such as Hammad Azhar, Naeem Haider Panjutha, Khalid Khursheed, and Kanwal Shauzab, all of whom attended the rally.
Islamabad Police have notified Punjab authorities about PTI leaders from the province who were involved in the Sangjani rally. Cases have been registered against several individuals, including Seemabia Tahir and Raja Basharat, at the Noon and Sangjani police stations.
The FIR alleges that PTI workers attacked police with stones and batons when security forces attempted to prevent the rally from deviating from its approved route. In response, law enforcement used tear gas to disperse the crowd and arrested 17 activists on-site.
These arrests are being carried out under the newly enacted Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024, which regulates public gatherings and demonstrations. Sher Afzal Marwat’s arrest was reportedly made under this law, with further arrests of PTI leaders from Punjab expected soon.
