ISLAMABAD: Police have arrested 160 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and 36 Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers for violating section...
ISLAMABAD: Police have arrested 160 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and 36 Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers for violating section 144.
A local court on Saturday sent 91 PTI and nine PAT workers to jail on 14-day judicial remand.
Nine of the arrested workers have also been sent to jail for an identification parade for their involvement in attacks on Parliament and the PTV building.
Following the arrests, PTI workers and leaders surrounded the police van carrying those arrested and chanted anti-government slogans. PTI workers also deflated tyres of the police van while television footage showed party leader Andleeb Abbas getting onto the van.
A heavy contingent of security forces arrived at the F-8 Kacheri to control the situation and Inspector General Police (IGP) Islamabad warned protesters that they would be arrested if they failed to vacate court premises.
The IGP said it was the police’s duty to disperse a crowd that violates section 144 of the law. Moreover, the IGP added that the police would not use force against protesters.
PTI leader Azam Swati was detained by the police after he failed to vacate the court premises. Prior to being detained, Swati said police were treating arrested PTI workers like animals.
Case lodged
A case has been lodged against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and leaders including Andeleeb Abbas and Azam Swati for interfering in official affairs.
The case was lodged under sections 353 and 144 and does not include PTI leader Arif Alvi in the Margalla police station.
The FIR of the case states that the police van carrying arrested workers was stopped and an attempt to free them was made.
PTI, PAT suspend talks
Following the arrest of party workers in Islamabad and across Punjab, the PTI and PAT have announced that talks have been suspended.
PTI leader Jehangir Tarin described actions of the government as state terrorism, announcing that talks had been suspended until the release of arrested workers.
Meanwhile, PAT chief Tahirul Qadri also said his party would not be holding talks until PTI and PAT workers were released.