Imran calls for nationwide protest following crackdown on party workers

By
GEO NEWS
|
Imran calls for nationwide protest following crackdown on party workers

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has called for nationwide protests on Friday following a police crackdown during a convention of his party’s youth wing in Islamabad.

Speaking to journalists outside his Bani Gala residence, Khan challenged the government to arrest him. "I will be attending Sheikh Rashid's rally tomorrow. Come and arrest me if you can," he said.

The PTI chairman's challenge to the government came hours after law enforcement personnel cracked down on PTI's student workers, arresting over a hundred party activists at a youth convention in the federal capital.

The government said PTI had not sought permission from authorities, who have banned all public gatherings in Islamabad for two months.

But Khan said the government crackdown was unlawful.

"Shouldn't the court take action against this? When the court had given us permission, why did the government do this then?" he said, referring to the High Court's order barring PTI from shutting down Islamabad but ordering authorities to allocate a venue for the party's protest demonstration.

"Parliament, NAB, all have failed. Now this is a trial for the government," he said.

Speaking at the press conference, Khan said his workers would remain peaceful despite the government's highhandedness.

But he warned of consequences if the government continues "on the route of baton-charging women workers".

Khan announced that he would attend a rally by allied leader Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed in Rawalpindi.

"I am going to the rally tomorrow for Sheikh Rasheed. The government can do what it wants," he said, daring the government to arrest him.

"The PTI is not the same as it was before the 2014 sit-in. This party has learnt a lot since then. Even if they detain us, what will happen? When we come out, we will be on the streets again," he said.