LAHORE: Police have arrested PTI’s Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, Punjab senior leader Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed and other party workers as the long march is set to commence today.
Police continued to conduct raids on the houses of the PTI leaders and workers. The government has decided to stop PTI’s ‘Azadi March’ at any cost.
In a late-night raid, police arrested senior PTI leader Mian Mehmood ur Rasheedunder section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). Police also raided former education minister Shafqat Mehmood’s residence, however, he was not present at home.
PTI Punjab President Shafqat Mehmood condemned the police action and tweeted that police raided his house without a search warrant. “I was not there,” he tweeted, adding, “Do they really think these tactics would intimidate us?” He claimed that Senator Ejaz Chaudhry had also been arrested and shifted to an unknown location.
Azadi March
PTI Chairman Imran Khan has vowed to carry on with the “Azadi March” despite the government’s decision to stop the long march towards Islamabad.
While addressing a press conference in Peshawar, the former premier said he will lead the “biggest procession in Pakistan’s history”.
Imran Khan condemned that police entered the house of a retired army major, referring to a video that surfaced on social media in which a girl could be in seen tears and claiming that the cops had “harassed” her.
He said that it was the democratic right of his party to carry on with the said that PTI’s “Azadi March” is the party’s democratic right.
Crackdown
A day earlier, Punjab Police raided the houses of several PTI leaders, including former energy minister Hammad Azhar, Usman Dar, and Babar Awan.
The Lal Haveli residence of Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed in Rawalpindi and the homes of Fayyazul Hasan Chohan and Ijaz Khan Jazi were also raided.
Lahore Police also raided the residence of PTI’s former information secretary, Farrukh Javed, but he escaped via his home’s back door. I n Lahore’s Jauhar Town, PTI MPA Sadia Sohail said her house had also been raided.
The house of PTI leader in Lahore Meher Naeemullah Taj was also raided. He alleged that police misbehaved with his family members and manhandled his employees.
Police raided the residences of PTI leaders Malik Ishtiaq and Yasir Gillani, but they were also not present. In Sialkot, the house of Firdous Ashiq Awan, ex-provincial minister Chaudhry Ikhlaq, and PTI leader Tahir Hundli’s houses were raided. Sialkot Police also raided the residence of Usman Dar.
