Police detain over 100 scholars

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Capital Police on Monday evening detained over 100 PhD scholars involved in holding demonstration in front of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s residency at Banigala and confined them in lockups of different police stations.

About 200 PhDs women and men holding sit in at Banigala were allegedly baton-charged by the police.

A spokesperson of the jobless PhD scholars association, Dr Abid Abbasi told The News that over 200 jobless PhD scholars gathered in front of PM’s House at Bani Gala from Islamabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Gilgit Baltistan, KPK, Dera Ghazi Khan and other major cities of the country to hold protest and sit in to register their demands.

According to him, PTI leaders and ministers negotiated with the protesting scholars to resolve the issue. State Minister Ali Awan assured the PhD scholars that their peaceful sit-in would not be disturbed but as he moved from the venue, the police started resorting lathicharge and beat them brutally.

Dr Abbasi said the police dragged the scholars and pushed them in police trucks, adding that they later detained the male and female scholars in different police stations of the town. The police confirmed the incident when contacted by this scribe.