Fifty-five party workers arrested from PTI convention
District administration had initially declined permission to hold rally in Kahna, Lahore but conceded after LHC orders
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, police suddenly intensified its crackdown against PTI leaders across the province
Police and law enforcement agencies arrested 55 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from a party convention in the Kahna area of Lahore district on Sunday, despite prior permission granted by the district administration.
Express News reported that the authorities entered the site forcefully and raided the office of the PTI leader responsible for organising the event.
During this operation, the police reportedly damaged office property by breaking windows and tore down PTI banners and posters.
The district administration had initially declined permission for PTI to hold the rally in constituency NA-123 Kahna, prompting the political party to seek legal recourse and approach the Lahore High Court.
The court ruled that if PTI were not permitted to hold their gathering, then no one should be allowed to do so.
PTI supporters and officials have decried the police’s actions, claiming that they had followed the proper procedures and obtained the necessary permissions from the district administration.
Separately, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, police suddenly intensified its crackdown against PTI leaders across the province with the homes of former provincial ministers Kamran Bangash and Anwar Zaib Khan being raided in Peshawar and Bajaur on Friday and both politicians being arrested.
Similarly, the residences of former MPA Fazal Ilahi and Taimur Saleem Jhagra as well as PTI District President Arbab Sher Ali were also raided but they managed to evade arrest.
The Chamkani Police registered an FIR against Bangash, stating that he had sheltered former federal minister Murad Saeed due to which the police raided his home but his armed guards opened fire at them, injuring two policemen.