RAWALPINDI: Police have arrested 122 workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf since yesterday after 14 FIRs were registered against them as they tried to take out rallies in different parts of Rawalpindi district.

However, 35 of the arrested political workers were released by the court of law on Monday.

More than 350 PTI workers were booked, while 122 were arrested by police, and 35 of the arrested were released on Monday after they were produced before the court of law by the police.

The hide and seek continued between the workers of PTI and police on Sunday as they tried to take out public rallies in different parts of the district.

Police started a crackdown against the PTI workers, claiming that they had not sought permission from the district administration for public rallies, and arrested at least 122 individuals from different areas.

The 122 workers of PTI, including some relatives of local leaders, were arrested by police on various charges, including violation of Section 144, blocking traffic, and obstructing the police in performing their official duty.

According to police sources, of the 122 arrested workers of PTI, 11 were arrested by Jatli police, 10 by Chontra police, and 6 by Saddar Baroni police. 9 workers were arrested by Taxila, 20 by Airport Police, and 5 by Civil Lines Police.

Likewise, 12 PTI workers were detained by city police, two by Ganjmandi, three by Ratta Amral, one by Pirwadhai, 11 by Waris Khan, nine by Banni, 16 by New Town, and seven by Sadiqabad police.

In response to PTI’s founder Imran Khan’s call to hold rallies across the country as part of the electioneering campaign, the party’s local leaders and supporters appeared on roads in Gulzar-i-Quaid, Saidpur Road, Gorakhpur, Chak Bailee, Adiala Road, Dhamial, Chontra, Sadiqabad, New Town, Civil Lines, and Jatli and tried to hold rallies, at the same time when the Pakistan People’s Party was holding a public rally at Liaquat Bagh on Sunday.

The caretaker Punjab government has imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) across the province in the wake of security risks ahead of the polls. No permission had been sought by the PTI to hold rallies as required by the ECP’s code of conduct, said the police.

A group of 25 supporters of the PTI, riding motorcycles, escorted by a Fortuner, appeared outside the Adiala jail and started brandishing weapons. Since the central jail in Adiala is a sensitive building, the motorcycle riders blocked the road.

Police said that upon seeing the situation, they tried to stop them from blocking the road, but they ignored the police warning as they provoked and pounced upon a police constable and tore his uniform. However, the constable was rescued by his fellows, while six of the attackers were apprehended by police.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2024

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