KARACHI: A crackdown on leaders and activists of the Pakistan Tehree-i-Insaf (PTI) intensified on Wednesday as police picked up over three dozen more workers of the beleaguered party for their alleged involvement in violence during a rally at Teen Talwar over the weekend.

“Thirty-nine more persons have been apprehended on charges of rioting, attacking policeman and ransacking official vehicles,” said a police spokesperson.

According to the spokesperson, the number of activists held during three days stands at 72. They were being identified with the help of digital evidence against them, the spokesperson added.

With just one week left in the day of polling, the law enforcement agency has been carrying out raids across the city to arrest PTI workers.

As many as 72 activists have been arrested in three days; ATC sends 30 others to prison on judicial remand

Besides dozens of PTI leaders and workers named in the arson and terrorism FIR registered on behalf of the state after the Teen Talwar rally and violence, the police also booked around 5,000 unnamed workers of the party and has been carrying out raids across the city to arrest them.

However, the Sindh High Court had on Tuesday provided some relief to the PTI workers by granted 95 of them protective bail.

Police remand of 30 held PTI men denied

On Wednesday, the administrative judge of the antiterrorism courts (ATCs) also refused to give physical remand of 30 PTI activists to the police and sent them to prison on judicial remand.

The investigating officer produced 30 arrested PTI activists before the administrative judge and requested the court to grant their physical remand.

However, the court rejected his request and remanded them in judicial custody till Feb 15.

The held activists, along with “around 5,000 workers and leaders” have been booked in a terrorism case registered at the Frere police station on behalf of the state under Sections 109 (abetment), 147 (rioting), 148 (armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant, 342 (wrongful confinement), 353 (deter public servant from discharge of duty), 324 (attempted murder), 337-A (hurt on head or face), 395 (dacoity), 427(causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

PTI issues show cause to Khurram Sher

As Sunday’s rally proved to be a disaster for the party candidates busy in their election campaign across the city, the PTI-Sindh accused its Karachi president Khurrum Sher Zaman, who’s also contesting from NA-241, of “conspiring and misusing” the name of party founder Imran Khan and sabotaging the ongoing electioneering for his personal sake.

A show-cause notice was given to Mr Sher Zaman by PTI-Sindh deputy secretary Abdul Jalil Khan Marwat, who asked him to explain as to why he announced one rally on Sunday that too in his own constituency in disregard of party directives to stage rallies in all parts of the city.

He was accused of “sabotaging” the election campaign of the PTI-backed independent candidates after Sunday’s rally witnessed a clash between party workers and police that led to arrest of dozens of activists under terror charges.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2024