BAHAWALNAGAR: A day after braving police crackdown on Sunday for taking out rallies, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidates and supporters woke up on Monday to face a new ordeal: criminal cases for breaching multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

In Bahawalnagar, the police registered a case against 234 PTI workers for violating section 144, holding rallies without permission, making anti-state speeches, abusing and threatening police personnel of consequences and damaging government property.

The FIR registered on the complaint of SI Muhammad Shakir with B Division police said that 34 people, who were later identified, along with 200 armed companions, gathered for a rally on Commercial College Road under the leadership of Sheikh Fazl Elahi. The FIR alleged that they resorted to aerial firing and made inflammatory speeches against the government.

According to police sources, a peaceful rally led by Sheikh Fazal Ilahi, a relative of PTI-backed Sheikh Owais Asghar, was stopped by SHO B Division Majid, along with a heavy police presence and they misbehaved with the participants on Sunday evening and later the participants were booked in a case.

They said the police were raiding their houses to arrest the nominated people and 20 people had been arrested. At the time when PTI was prevented from holding a rally by the police, PML-N activists were holding rallies in other parts of the city, but the administration neither stopped them nor any FIR was filed against them for violation of Section 144 or 16 MPO.

MUZAFFARGARH: Cases were registered against PTI district president and candidate for NA-175 Nawabzada Muhammad Ahmad Khan, along with 12 identified and 25 unidentified PTI supporters in different police stations on Monday.

The cases were related to holding election rallies where several dozen people participated in Muzaffargarh on Sunday. The police registered cases under sections 341 of the Punjab Sound System and Regulations Act 2015 (5) and (6) at Khangarh police station.

The cases were against Nawabzada Muhammad Ahmad Khan and 12 identified and 25 unidentified supporters who blocked roads, causing disturbance with loud noises.

Another case was registered against Nawabzada 40 other people.

SAHIWAL: Retired Maj Muhammad Ghulam Sarwar, PTI candidate for PP 204, along with 35 supporters, was booked by Kasowal Police for organising an election rally in his constituency for flouting Section 144.

The FIR states that Mr Sarwar and his supporters chanted anti-government slogans. The case was registered against Mr Sarwar, Rizwan Gujar, Khawar Gujar, Papoo Lumberdar, Majeed Patwari, Naveed, Sarfaraz, and 25 unnamed people on the complaint of a police officer. Similarly, the Sahiwal city police in Sahiwal booked seven identified and 35 unidentified PTI leaders, supporters, and workers for organizing a public rally in Sahiwal city.

The case was registered against Rana Amir Sahazad, Rana Zeeshan, Rana Fasil, Shaikh Awais, and others. No one was arrested as of now.

SARGODHA: Malik Shafqat Abbas Awan, candidate for NA-84 Sargodha-III, along with his supporters, was arrested on Sunday, and they alleged that their cars were also damaged.

DERA GHAZI KHAN: The Dera city police released PTI candidate for PP-288 Malik Iqbal Saqib following the intervention of Tariq Gormani, the president of the district bar association.

The candidate was arrested by the city police for conducting shop-to-shop campaigning for himself on PP 288 and PTI candidate, Zartaj Gull.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2024