State Exerts Pressure On PTI To Obstruct Its Power Show

The government arrested nearly 1,000 PTI officials and workers on Tuesday to derail Imran Khan’s plans for a major power display in Islamabad.

Section 144 was implemented in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Karachi, and other major cities as the Punjab government requested Rangers to oversee law and order.

Syed Ali Murtaza, Punjab’s home secretary, confirmed Ranger’s support.

All entrance and exit points going to Islamabad were contained, halting Lahore-twin city traffic.

No one has been permitted to pass the Lahore district boundary, and containers and barricades have been placed on all key highways, including connecting roads leading to motorways and GT Road.

The government also told the transport administration not to give PTI personnel buses, automobiles, and vans.

The Attock Bridge on GT Road and M1 near Swabi are also blocked. Lahore’s Ravi Toll Plaza, which leads to M2, also has containers.

4,000 police from Multan, Lahore, Farooqabad, and Sargodha have been called to help Rawalpindi and Attock police.

Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, who was jailed and ultimately released on court orders, said PTI never prevented rallies and sit-ins while in office.

“The state is preventing individuals from attending the march.” She claimed the demonstrators will stay firm if the government employs violence to disperse them.

Arrests
Official papers showed that authorities had created a list of 2,076 PTI workers and office-bearers from different regions of the province who were to be banned from the long march.

Over 1,200 PTI members and leaders have been detained across the province, including 149 from Lahore, 93 from Sahiwal, 139 from Faisalabad, and 89 from Gujranwala.

314 from Multan, 183 from DG Khan, and 197 from Sargodha. In Rawalpindi, 86 PTI workers and local leaders were arrested and transported to Adiala Jail.

Separately, after a series of pre-dawn Karachi police searches, only MNA Saif ur Rehman Mehsud was detained from his Sohrab Goth apartment, fueling uneasiness among party ranks.

An anonymous police officer informed that PTI workers, MPAs, MNAs, and office bearers were to be arrested.

He stated every district police officer was ordered to halt PTI.

“We’ve been told to raid homes and confiscate vehicles with pro-PTI slogans, flags, and stickers,” he claimed.

Police are reportedly requesting detention orders from their respective deputy commissioners to hold these persons for breaking Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows police to keep them for up to 90 days.

Ataullah Tarar, a spokesperson for the Punjab administration, said 250 PTI workers and leaders were arrested for breaching section 144.

Police detained PTI employees and activists in Murree, Gujar Khan, Kahuta, Taxila, and Rawalpindi. Most party leaders have escaped arrest by hiding.

PTI Islamabad President Ali Nawaz Awan said police were detaining and harassing party workers against court orders (IHC).

“According to our calculations, 1,100 residences have been raided and 500 workers have been arrested,” he stated.

Killed policeman
During the Monday night-Tuesday morning crackdown against PTI supporters, a policeman was shot dead, purportedly by a PTI supporter.

When police arrived at Maj retired Sajid Hussain’s residence in Model Town, his son fired fire from the roof.

Constable Kamal Ahmad was shot in the chest and hospitalised. He died. Mr Hussain and his son were detained.

Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz attended the policeman’s burial on Tuesday.