RAWALPINDI/LAHORE: PTI leaders Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Aamir Mehmood Kiyani, Muhammad Basharat Raja, Rashid Hafeez and Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Friday refused to court arrest as part of the ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’.
However, Fayaz ul Hassan Chohan, Sadaqat Abbasi, Jazi Khan and Zulfi Bukhari voluntarily surrendered themselves to the police.
A day earlier, PTI workers and leaders, including former federal minister Aamir Kiyani, assured that he will present himself for arrest, while former law minister Raja Basharat also announced to present himself for arrest in front of RA Bazaar police station.
Chohan along with his supporters courted arrest but the police released all of them near Mandra.
Jazi Khan gave his arrest amid the beat of the drum. A large number of PTI supporters gathered at the Committee Chowk raising full-throated slogans in favor of Imran Khan. However, they were not ready to surrender themselves to the police for arrest.
The movement kicked off on Wednesday from Lahore where the PTI core leadership from Punjab, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Senator Azam Khan Swati, and Omar Sarfaraz Cheema gave court arrest.
The drive was launched in protest against ‘violations of fundamental rights, abuse of the Constitution, unprecedented inflation and economic meltdown’.
PTI chief Imran Khan lauded the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) leadership for a massive turnout in ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’.
In his tweet, he congratulated the KP PTI parliamentarians for leading the ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ from the front.
He wrote, “Today was a massive turnout led by PTI’s KP leadership for the Jail Bharo Tehreek. Congratulations to our KP PTI parliamentarians for leading from the front and to our workers for their janoon (passion) and commitment.”
Talking to The News, PTI supporters said Imran Khan was seeking bails from different courts rather than courting arrest due to which the drive badly flopped.
On Friday, the PTI moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking release of its leaders who had voluntarily surrendered themselves to the police as a part of “Jail Bharo Tehreek”.
Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry heard the PTI’s pleas. The court inquired the petitioner’s lawyer about why the party members had been arrested.
The counsel stated that the party had started “Jail Bharo” movement. When Justice Chaudhary asked why they were playing with the courts, the lawyer said, “We are not asking for bail; these are symbolic arrests and we are here to protect the rights of the leaders.”
The courtroom burst into laughter at the lawyer’s reply. After this, the court remarked, “You were asking yourself to make arrests. Now that they are arrested, what’s the emergency?”
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s son Zain Qureshi also appeared in the court.
“I did not get arrested but my father was and I am not allowed to meet him,” said Qureshi’s son.
At this, Justice Chaudhary replied, “Go to a place where Section 144 is imposed, you will get arrested and will also be able to meet him.”
His remarks, once again, caused laughter in the room. Meanwhile, a counsel implored the court to seek a report on the matter from the provincial government. The judge remarked, “What report should be sought?” The counsel argued that due process was not followed in making arrests. The court after hearing the arguments sought reply from the quarters concerned by February 27.