ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police have arrested several male and female workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) while they were attending a youth convention at a private marquee in Islamabad on Thursday evening, ARY News reported.
Senior PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said police had no right to arrest peaceful PTI workers who were not engaged in any unlawful activity and only attending party’s youth convention.
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“This is the worst dictatorship. Under which law are our peaceful and unarmed activists being arrested and baton charged?,” he questioned legality of the crackdown from the government.
He said the government’s behavior had unveiled its true face.
A large number of police thronged the area and unleashed baton-charge indiscriminately hurting unarmed women, men and media persons.
Qureshi said nothing could stop them now, nothing would ever stop the nation now, the nation would rid Pakistan of Nawaz Sharif’s dictatorship.
“We reject this monarch Sharif, we reject dictatorship, our fight will continue till the beginning of a true democracy,” he said.
The PTI leader said when he and his other party leader, Asad Umar, reached there, they were beating PTI women and young boys.
“We did not lock down today, we didn’t violate any rule of law today, on what basis the action was taken?,” he said.
He demanded from the government to release PTI workers right away or they will themselves be responsible for the consequences.
He condemned manhandling PTI workers specially females and said: “Even men were trying to hold women which is totally uncalled for, when I confronted AC police, he ran way. We have spoken to our lawyers and they’re going to follow the cases of our arrested workers.”
Asad Umar terms arrests hooliganism
Asad Umar said those were not legal arrests, it was hooliganism.
“They’re giving written instructions to the markets, press and hotels to not facilitate any Insafian. This very attitude of the government that you saw today is the reason Chief Justice of Pakistan said it is monarchy,” he said.
Asad Umar said if the government thought that it could stop November 2 protest by using these tactics, it was mistaken.
Yeh dekhein jamhoriat key liye sab sey barey khatrey walee hakoomat key kartoot….kis aeen aur qanoon key tahat ho raha hai yeh? pic.twitter.com/aDEaZxoVXL
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) October 27, 2016
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“If there were one million people going to come to Islamabad on Nov 2, now there will be two million,” he said.
Bilawal condemns baton-charge
On the other hand, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the police baton-charge in Islamabad.
Ruling party must act with tolerance: @BBhuttoZardari
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) October 27, 2016
Youth Convention is a democratic process and PPP strongly condemns any such act which prevent any democratic process: @BBhuttoZardari
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) October 27, 2016
Police is to maintain law and order, not to spoil political program and misbehave with women: @BBhuttoZardari
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) October 27, 2016
Govt’s action is condemnable: Tahir ul Qadri
Immediately release arrested PTI workers: Mustafa Kamal
Chairman Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Mustafa Kamal said torturing political party workers was against democracy and democratic traditions.
Expressing reservation over the government and administration’s treatment, he said protest was a right of every citizen and political party. The government should respect this right.
“The arrested workers of PTI should immediately be released,” he said.
