Arrest spree stepped up as PTI's nationwide violent protests intensify
Pakistan
Shah Mahmood Qureshi was arrested from Gilgit Baltistan House in Islamabad on late Wednesday
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE/KARACHI (Dunya News) - As the protests turned violent across the country after the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case, the Shehbaz-led government has tightened noose around the PTI leaders and activists, arresting key leaders including women.
Since Imran Khan's arrest on Tuesday, angry mobs attacked several public and private properties including army-owned buildings, torched vehicles and injured several law enforcers.
On the other hand, violent clashes left eight people dead and scores of others wounded. There were reports of gunfire between the law enforcers and the protesters.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was taken into custody by police in Islamabad on late Wednesday night, Dunya News reported. Former Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was arrested in Gilgit-Baltistan House in Islamabad.
Mr Qureshi's arrest was part of the anti-corruption agency's 'crackdown' on the leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
The PTI leader's arrest was addition to the tally as several PTI leaders including former Governor Punjab Omer Sarfraz Cheema, PTI secretary general Asad Umar and PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry were already apprehended by police earlier in the day.
Earlier, an accountability court in Islamabad on Wednesday granted the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan to NAB for eight days.
The decision was announced by accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir in a case pertaining to Al-Qadir Trust. The accountability bureau had requested Imran Khan's physical remand for 14 days.
-- Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Musarrat Cheema, Maleeka Bokhari also arrested --
A day after the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan, party’s general secretary Asad Umar, senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry, Jamshaid Iqbal Cheema and women leaders Musarrat Cheema and Maleeka Bokhari were also taken into custody on Wednesday and Thursday.
As Mr Chaudhry came out of the SC, where he had been staying to evade arrest, he was taken into custody. He told media it was happening for the first time in Pakistan that an SC lawyer had been arrested on apex court premises. “What has been unforeseen, is happening now”, he added. Bar associations had, he said, reduced the power of lawyers in their personal feud.
All the sections of the society were facing challenges now, he said. He said when he came to the IHC, Mr Khan was arrested on the premises of the IHC. “Mr Khan was tortured and his head was wounded,” he added. I appealed to the IHC CJ, he said, but he passed a worthless order.
He went on to say that the PTI also raised the issue before the SC but the case was not fixed for hearing. “Now SC have been evacuated and I have been asked to surrender,” he added.
He said problems could solved through dialogue in politics. “We need to cool down the heat raised by Mr Khan’s arrest,” he added.
An organised attempt had been made to create division between the army and the PTI, he said.
Earlier, it was reported that PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi was arrested from the Red Zone in Islamabad. But Qureshi via Twitter denied rumours of his arrest and said this was a strategy of the government to spread misinformation to shatter the spirit of party and its supporters.
Asad Umar was arrested when he was about to leave for the SC to challenge the IHC decision on Imran Khan’s arrest along with Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Asad was whisked away by the Anti-Terror Squad.
The former finance minister was in the IHC to file a petition to seek a meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan. It is not clear on what charges Asad has been arrested.
According to eyewitnesses, the PTI lawyers resisted police to prevent Asad’s arrest, but the law enforcers overpowered them and took him away.
Two cases have been registered against him and other PTI leaders following the protests that ensued after Imran's arrest. The cases were registered in Islamabad's Tarnol and Aabpara police stations.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Niazi and Ghulam Sarwar Khan were also with Asad Umar when the CTD men swooped on him. All three leaders returned to the IHC's Bar Room after Asad was held by police.
Police also tried to arrest Mr Qureshi, however, the lawyers and other party workers thwarted the police bid.
PTI leader Shireen Mazari condemned the arrest of Asad Umar on her Twitter handle. She tweeted: "Seems like the IHC area has become a fertile ground to illegally arrest PTI leaders".
-- Army called in to assist police in Punjab, KP, Balochistan, Islamabad --
The army has been called in by three provinces including Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, and Islamabad to help the local administration and police in maintaining law and order across the province.
The Punjab Home Department said the army had been called in under Article 245 of the constitution to assist the local administration. The army has been called in due to deteriorating law and order situation in the country. A notification to the effect has been issued by the Home Department.
It says 10 companies of the army will be at Punjab government's disposal and they will initially be deployed in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Multan.
Meanwhile, the army has also been summoned for support in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Islamabad
The Islamabad police have arrested more than 200 PTI activists and registered four news cases of sabotage and arson attacks in the last two days or so. Some people attacked the Islamabad Tarnol Railway Station and set building on fire.
Punjab
Sialkot police detained Aamir Dar, the brother of PTI leader Usman Dar, during a raid at a factory and shifted him to an unknown location. The Punjab police have so far arrested 2,017 activists for ransacking public and private properties, torching 72 police vehicles and injuring more than 150 officers and officials in the last two days.
In Lahore, unidentified people set a container carrying a piece of cloth on fire near Kalma Chowk in early hours. A police vehicle was torched on Sundar Das Road. In another incident, some people attempted to stop a passenger train at the Dharamapura Railway Crossing.
The Kasur police detained 25 PTI workers during multiple raids and shifted them to unknown locations. The Vehari police detained 40 PTI workers and have been shifted to the district jail for a month's imprisonment.
Balochistan
Police took 16 PTI activists into custody from different localities of Quetta in the late hours. As many 80 workers have so far been taken into custody in the last two days.
Sindh
The Karachi police booked over 14 PTI leaders and 200 workers in several cases on the charges of sabotage and the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
As many 296 protesters and attackers have been arrested in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for ransacking public and private properties.
In Dir's Chakdarra area, unidentified miscreants attacked an state owned building, burned down furniture and eight vehicles belonging to security forces. The attackers also set a motorway toll plaza on fire. The Attock police shifted 60 detained workers to the district jail.
