Cracking down on protestors who are part of Imran Khan’s ‘Azadi March’, the Pakistan Police on Wednesday used tear gas shells to disperse Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in Lahore. The police were also seen lathi-charging the workers of ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party and taking them into custody. Clashes were also reported across several locations including Kala Shah Kaku, and Batti Chowk, while the car of former Health Minister Yasmeen Rashid was allegedly pelted upon when she was on her way to Islamabad.
Just hours ago, the Pakistan Police had arrested key members of the PTI party and sealed the capital city Islamabad ahead of the “Azadi March”. Under the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, the police raided the residences of the PTI leaders and workers and arrested senior leader Mian Mehmood-ur- Rasheed and several others on Tuesday night under section 16 of the Maintenance of the Public Order (MPO), Geo News reported. Calling it a fight against ‘fascism’, Imran Khan has pulled out all stops to reach the capital city.
Captain’ leading from front
Even amid the change in Pakistan’s political leadership, the country continues to be gripped by social unrest with Khan giving a clarion call for a regime change and seeking the dissolution of the National Assembly. Pressure is being mounted on the Sharif administration to call for early elections, a demand that the party has been pressing for since his government’s ouster in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April.
Crackdown on 1000 PTI workers, Islamabad cut off
Ahead of the ‘Azadi March’, the government had zeroed in on two plans for the protest, either letting PTI marchers enter Islamabad or intercepting them at entry points. The PTI marchers would be allowed to enter Islamabad under the first plan, but they would not be allowed to cross Zero-Point. However, if the government decides to bar PTI leaders from entering, the second plan will be implemented leading to the closure of all entry ports, and the marchers will be halted on the Attock and Jhelum bridges, Dawn reported.
While these plans have been zeroed in, more than 1,000 PTI members were rounded up by the ruling government to thwart the party’s preparations for a big power show in Islamabad. Further, the Punjab administration demanded the deployment of Rangers to control the law and order situation as Section 144 was imposed in several major cities of the country including Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi. The capital city of Islamabad has been cut off from the rest of the country, with a heavy deployment of security forces at every entry and exit point.