PTI ‘gathers workers’ in Capital before IHC hearing

ISLAMABAD: The PTI gathered its workers in large number before the commencement of hearing of contempt proceedings in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday.

Most of the workers and zealots had come from KPK. They were kept at different places, including the Frontier House that belongs to the KPK government. The facilities at the Gilgit-Baltistan House and Punjab House were also availed for the purpose. They all are situated in the Red-Zone of the federal capital.

Well-placed sources told The News that the PTI had planned to undertake a huge protest and create law and order in the federal capital in case of Imran Khan’s conviction in the contempt case. Sensing the designs of the PTI, the administration had also kept the arrangements prepared to meet any eventuality.

The Civil Armed Forces (CAF) were available on short notice for maintenance of law and order or any required action while police had also kept ready its reserved force for the possible instance, the sources said. Most of the PTI workers and zealots reached here in the wee hours of the day while some workers were also here overnight. The local police cordoned off the roads and ways leading to the IHC, keeping in view the possibility of PTI workers storming the court or creating any situation.

Imran Khan was not comfortable about the blockade of the roads, as he asked before entering the court room what was the fear that the police had sealed the whole area. The police had put in place two tiers of barbed wire security outside the compound of the IHC besides blocking all the roads outside it in G-10 sector of the federal capital by erecting hindrances. The PTI workers tried several times to break police barriers and they had quarreled with them. As soon the proceedings were adjourned, most of the workers returned to Peshawar while the other came back to their lodging places. Their cars were parked on Agha Khan Road in large number and caused a traffic jam for about three hours in F-5 sector and along the road link to the Constitution Avenue. The police other than the traffic watch and ward was also deployed for the area, the sources pointed out.