• Demonstrators beaten, dragged out of cars and arrested during demos against rigging in election
• Raja, Khosa among leaders detained in various cities as party decries action against ‘peaceful’ gatherings
• SCBA demands release of protesters
• Marwat announces another protest on 30th

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Police continued to use force in dealing with PTI protests across the province on Sunday, as many party workers were beaten up and a number of key leaders arrested during demonstrations against alleged electoral rigging.

The rallies and protests were held in major cities across the country on the call of PTI’s incarcerated founder, Imran Khan.

The agitation was met with an expected police response, at least in Punjab, where scores of leaders, workers, activists and supporters were arrested.

Videos posted on social media showed police manhandling protesters, and even dragging people out of cars flying PTI flags.

In Lahore, PTI MNA Sardar Latif Khosa, senior leader Salman Akram Raja and MPAs Farhat Abbas and Mian Haroon Akbar were arrested at different locations. The lawyers’ family members have claimed their whereabouts are unknown since the arrests.

‘Ruthless action’

The demonstrators who had gathered at Lahore’s GPO Chowk, the venue for the largest protest in Lahore, reminded Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif of her assertion that she would be “ruthless against violent protests”.

“The Punjab police has gone one step further and became ruthless against peaceful protesters, including those sitting in their vehicles,” a protester, Sultan Mahmood, said.

Another protester, Naveed Ali, said the PML-N government must end “fascism” as it had no right to use force on unarmed protesters.

“The massive protests across the province show that people have shunned fear and are pursuing their course of justice against massive rigging in election results and theft of their mandate,” said another activist.

While protesters decried police violence, some journalists and social media activists covering the protest at the GPO Chowk were also beaten by police.

In addition to Lahore, the party also held rallies in Kasur, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Fais-alabad, Toba Tek Singh, Rawalpindi, Sahi­wal, Multan, D.G. Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Layyah, Baha-walpur, and Muzaffar-garh.

MPAs Awais Virk, Tayyab Rasheed and Sarfraz Dogar were held in Sheikhu­pura, PTI’s candidates Sabir Ansari from NA-131, Mehr Mohammad Saleem from PP-177 and labour wing head Mehr Safdar were held in Kasur.

PTI condemns police action

A PTI spokesperson condemned police action and arrest of party workers and leaders, including Mr Khosa and Mr Raja.

The spokesperson said the CM should shun the policy of arresting peaceful protesters. “The fake government is scared of protests.”

PTI leader Moonis Elahi alleged the CM was behind the police actions.

“She lost her own seat and spearheaded the downfall of her party. By arresting our PTI leaders and workers, she will ensure that her party gets wiped out,” Mr Elahi said in a post on his X account.

He said police sealed the gates of his Gujrat home to stop his mother and aunt from joining the protest.

PTI Central Punjab General Secretary Hammad Azhar said police “attacked” and arrested peaceful protesters.

On his X account, he also reposted a video showing policemen surrounding a vehicle with visibly petrified children in the backseat and wrote: “The fake CM said she will be ruthless.”

SCBA demands release of protesters

The Supreme Court Bar Association demanded immediate release of PTI lawyers Sardar Latif Khosa, Barrister Salman Akram Raja, Mumtaz Mustafa and others who were arrested during a protest in Lahore against alleged rigging.

The SCBA decided to summon an emergency meeting of its executive committee to chart a course of action.

SCBA President Shahzad Shaukat and Secretary Syed Ali Imran termed the arrests a matter of grave concern, asking the authorities to respect the legal and democratic rights of citizens. “The recent trend of targeting and arresting members of the legal fraternity is alarming. It reflects a blatant disregard for constitutional rights, rampant lawlessness and abuse of power”.

Protest in Islamabad

In Islamabad, rallies from different areas reached Zero Point and then headed towards the National Press Club.

While addressing the crowd, PTI MNA Sher Afzal Marwat said people are willing to struggle to get back the “stolen mandate”.

“You will suffer for what you have done with the support of institutions and what you have done with the people,” he said, addressing Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz.

By casting their vote in favour of PTI, the nation gave a clear message that it was standing behind Mr Imran, he said.

He also announced another public meeting in Islamabad on March 30.

Later, Mr Marwat took an oath from the workers that they would come out of their houses whenever required.

Shoaib Shaheen, who contested election from Islamabad, said two families had been enjoying power in Pakistan “for the last four decades” and this time, the Election Commi­ssion of Pakistan (ECP) “be­­came their facilitator”.

He said the PTI founder would soon be released and become the PM again.

Protests in Quetta and Peshawar

In Peshawar, the protest was addressed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Min­is­­ter Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, who demanded Mr Khan’s release from prison and urged the chief justice to form a judicial commission to probe the cipher case.

Other PTI leaders and workers demanded stern action against bureaucrats — who served as district returning officers and returning officers in the general elections — “for snatching the public mandate”.

They demanded action against police for what they called illegal arrest of PTI workers and leaders in the run-up to the elections.

In Balochistan, PTI’s workers and supporters, including a large number of women, held a rally from the party’s provincial secretariat to the Quetta Press Club.

The demonstrators, carrying party flags, placards, banners and chanting slogans, marched on Samungli Road, Zarghoon Road and Jinnah Road.

The newly elected provincial president, Dawood Shah Kakar, addressed the gathering outside the press club. He condemned the ECP’s decision to “deprive” PTI candidates of their mandate.

“We will continue our protest and struggle till we get back our stolen mandate,” vowed Mr Kakar, and claimed that people “gave heavy mandate” to the PTI but it was “stolen”.

Mr Kakar demanded that reserved seats should be allotted to the SIC without any delay.

Mohammad Ashfaq in Peshawar and Saleem Shahid in Quetta also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2024