LAHORE: Isolated clashes took place between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters and the law enforcing agencies during the party’s protest in the provincial capital on Saturday, leading to arrests of several party activists, including women and lawyers.
The PTI had called for the protest in Lahore, and the party leaders, workers, and supporters were instructed to gather at Minar-e-Pakistan at 2 p.m., but the response was low. It was noted that the party leadership and provincial PTI legislators were largely absent from the provincial capital; only the local leadership, including PTI Lahore President Imtiaz Sheikh and PTI Lahore General Secretary Awais Younis, were seen among the protesters.
After observing sizable participation and resistance from the PTI workers and supporters in the federal capital, the Punjab government mobilised all available resources, including the imposition of Section 144 and the deployment of military and Rangers in the city, to limit the opposition rally. Rangers and a large number of policemen were deployed at sensitive points, including Minar-e-Pakistan, GPO Chowk, Zila Kutchery, Railways Station, Liberty Market and Lalik Jan Chowk in Defence Housing Authority (DHA). The Punjab Home Department reiterated that the deployment of both the Rangers and the army aims to safeguard peace, focusing on securing sensitive installations and ensuring the safety of foreign delegates during the high-profile SCO summit.
“The army and Rangers have been called in to restore calm and provide security to key locations across the city. They will be authorised to detain individuals who threaten public safety,” it added.
Moreover, the administration blocked the major entry and exit routes into Lahore, access to Minar-e-Pakistan and other sensitive points with containers to restrict the movements of demonstrators. This led to severe disruptions in the city; traffic jams and road closures compounded the difficulties faced by citizens trying to navigate the city amidst the unrest.
The party’s activists kept the police and local and provincial administrations on their toes. In response to party leader Imran Khan’s call for nationwide protests, the protestors gathered at key locations, including GPO Chowk (outside the Lahore High Court), Zila Katcheri on Lower Mall Road, Railways Station, and Minar-e-Pakistan. The police responded by launching a crackdown, resulting in the arrests of several party members.
At Minar-e-Pakistan, the PTI supporters made attempts to enter the protest point late in the evening, but they were met with brute force from the police; the police baton-charged the crowd and used tear gas against them, and many were arrested. PTI Lahore President Imtiaz Sheikh was also among the protestors chanting slogans. Earlier, a woman was arrested after managing to bypass security and hoist the PTI flag on the Azadi Flyover while a few students were seen on the same flyover to stage a protest, but the police managed to disperse them.
Moreover, lawyers gathered outside the Lahore High Court and Zila Kutchery, raising slogans against the government. In response, the police baton-charged the protestors and used tear gas to disperse them. A few were arrested, while others managed to take refuge in the courts.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, who was also present at the scene, managed to leave GPO Chowk in a car before the arrests took place. He left just as the police began their crackdown on the protesting lawyers and the PTI workers.
The PTI Lahore claimed that a large number of their workers and supporters, including PTI Lahore General Secretary Awais Younis, were arrested. At the same time, police used brutal force, including tear gas, against the peaceful protestors. However, they said they were still determined to continue with the struggle for their rights and stand firm behind their leader, Imran Khan.
Meanwhile, Lahore Police DIG Operations Faisal Kamran warned the opposition activists not to violate the law under the guise of a protest. He emphasised that strict action would be taken against the lawbreakers. “A coordinated plan has been implemented to stop mischief under the guise of protests across the city. Anti-Rights forces have taken up their positions, and additional forces have been deployed after identifying all possible protest locations. Moreover, water cannons and prison vans have also been deployed,” he added.
He also warned that those who violate Section 144 would face jail, those who create obstacles for the citizens would be dealt with with iron hands, and those who damage government and private property would end up in jail. Strict legal action would be taken for the safety of the city and the citizens.
Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja distances himself from the remarks of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Khan Saif. On TV channels, the Barrister said his party would invite Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to address their protest at D-Chowk during his upcoming visit to Islamabad for the SCO summit. In a social media message, he said, “If Barrister Saif had said what has been attributed to him, I dissociate myself and the PTI from his statement. The PTI’s struggle for democratic values and an independent judiciary is our domestic calling. We expect all those who uphold human rights to support us, not oppressive regimes,” he added.
Moreover, in a video message posted on social media regarding the Lahore protest, the PTI Secretary General said that it is an individual right to hold a protest and it becomes mandatory to protest when a constitutional amendment is introduced to curb an individual’s fundamental rights, which include freedom to raise a voice against tyranny, form a political party and stage a protest. He continued that the amendment intends to limit the powers of the superior judiciary and, thus, take away the powers used to protect fundamental rights.
“Time has come to raise our voices against the draconian amendment, which aims to make the judiciary a puppet with the sole purpose of allowing the ‘powers’ run the country as per its wishes; this means declaring political parties illegal and labelling political workers as terrorists and ultimately putting us in jail and hold military trials in closed rooms,” he said. He averred that this was a terrifying future for the country and that the whole plan was being kept secret from the people. Until now, the government has not shared the amendment’s draft with the legislators.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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