ISLAMABAD: Police on Thursday arrested over 100 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as they gathered in Sector E-11 area to attend a Youth Convention ahead of party’s planned “lockdown” of the federal capital and hours after Islamabad High Court’s order against the PTI’s plan.
The convention was being held hours after Imran Khan said he would go ahead with his plan of closing down the capital come hell or high water. He said he would challenge the orders passed by the Islamabad High Court.
Imran Khan has been demanding the government to order an inquiry into offshore business interests of Pakistanis revealed in massive data leak of Panamanian law firm in April this year. The Panama Papers were released by International Consortium of Journalists. Among hundreds of Pakistanis, names of members of the ruling family also appeared in the Panama Papers.
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Daniyal Aziz, a senior leader of the ruling party, told Geo News, PTI was holding Youth Convention to chalk plans for the lockdown. “This convention is a violation of court orders since the court has stopped them from staging sit-in,” he said.
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"We were already aware of the proceedings inside the building where the convention was taking place"
The Frontier Corps troops were also called in as situation seemed to deteriorate during police action against the PTI workers.
PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi accused the police of manhandling female workers and vowed to continue the peaceful struggle.
He also called on Justice Shaukat Siddiqui to take notice of what he said violation of a court order by Islamabad administration.
Talal Chaudhry, another senior PML-N leader, said the gathering was in violation of Section-144, adding that the PTI leaders didn’t bother to seek permission for the convention.
Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday strongly condemned Police baton-charge on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in Islamabad, said a statement issued by the PPP.
“Youth Convention is a democratic process and PPP strongly condemns any such act which prevent any democratic process,” said the PPP leader. Pak Sarzameen Party leader Mustafa Kamal also criticized the government and condemned the police action against political workers.
Bilawal condemns police crackdown against PTI workers
Speaking at Geo News current affairs show Report Card, Senior Journalist Mazhar Abbas said the government gave the PTI what the Imran Khan-led party was asking for, adding that the method government was employing to halt the rally have not worked in Pakistan.
"What the PTI was about to do on November 2, the government has done today," said Babar Sattar, eminent lawyer and political commentator while speaking at the show. He also criticized the government for dealing with the issue and recalled events of Model Town which saw at least 14 people killed in police crackdown against Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers in 2014.
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