Hundreds of supporters of Imran Khan’s embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were arrested in different cities, including Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar, on Sunday as the party began electioneering for the February 8 general election.
In Karachi, at least 50 people were arrested after PTI workers and police clashed in Karachi’s Teen Talwar during an election rally.
Police said the PTI did not obtain prior permission for holding a rally in the Red Zone, while the party said it was being deprived of its constitutional right to campaign.
The development came as the leaders of all major political parties — including the PPP, the PML-N and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) — continued with their election campaigns in the country.
In Rawalpinid, police launched a crackdown and arrested 10 supporters of the PTI. Police arrested the PTI supporters carrying Imran Khan’s photos and PTI flags when they were raising slogans against violation of the constitution in the NA-56 constituency.
In Peshawar, police cracked down on several PTI supporters and arrested many of them. Police said that PTI workers were staging a rally without official permission.
In Lahore, police arrest former federal minister Hammad Azhar’s father Mian Muhammad Azhar. Taking to X later, Hamad Azhar wrote, “My 82 year old father arrested. He wanted to lead a rally as per his democratic and constitutional right. Pakistan has today been reduced to a total fascist state with zero human rights or rule of law. One Nawaz Sharif & his daughter calling the shots and ruining the country.”
My 82 year old father arrested. He wanted to lead a rally as per his democratic and constitutional right. Pakistan has today been reduced to a total fascist state with zero human rights or rule of law. One Nawaz Sharif & his daughter calling the shots and ruining the country. pic.twitter.com/BEdx5EX60h
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) January 28, 2024
In Lahore’s NA-119 constituency, PTI supporters led by the party candidate Mian Shahzad Farooq took out a rally on Allama Iqbal Road in Garhi Shahu area. Since it was a huge rally, police did not dare arrest anyone and cleared the path of the rally.
لاہور: این اے 119 سے تحریک انصاف کے امیدوار میاں شہزاد فاروق کی اپنے قائد عمران خان کی ہدایت پر اپنے حلقے انتخاب میں شاندار ریلی کا انعقاد؛ عوام کی کثیر تعداد میں شرکت۔#خان_کی_کال_پر_لبیک pic.twitter.com/4Me9F4zfIu
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 28, 2024
