 "Policemen fire tear gas shells to disperse supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party during a protest in Islamabad on October 5, 2024. -AFP")
Over 30 supporters of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, including lawyers, were arrested on Saturday night after they managed to reach historic Minar-e-Pakistan premises on late Saturday night demanding the release of their leader, police said on Sunday.
The situation in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi, which witnessed the violent clashes on Saturday remained tense. However, there were no reports of violence in the twin cities on Sunday, indicating that the situation was improving gradually.
Lahore police said it also booked over 200 PTI leaders and workers, including Khan, under terrorism charges, a day after violent clashes between security forces and his supporters that left one policeman dead and several others injured.
A curfew-like situation was witnessed around the venue, Minar-e-Pakistan, which is closed to any general public entry indefinitely. However, several PTI workers and lawyers managed to reach the protest venue late on Saturday night and chanted slogans in favour of their incarcerated leader. Police arrested the protesters.
”Police have arrested over 30 PTI workers and registered a case against over 200 PTI workers and leaders, including Imran Khan, under terrorism and other charges,” a Punjab police spokesperson said.
Khan had issued a ”Do or Die” order, instructing PTI supporters to stage protests in their cities.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s party vowed to continue its protest against the government.
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View AllPakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf: party, in an overnight meeting, decided that the demonstration would go on until the release of Khan, who has been in jail since August last year.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who is also the protest leader, remained unknown.
The party and family members were unable to make any contact with him from Saturday evening, said his government spokesman Muhammad Ali Saif.
Saif on Saturday first claimed that Gandapur was “arrested”, but later in a post on X said that the “KP CM has not been formally arrested”.
The political committee of PTI decided that if Gandapur was arrested, senior party leader Azam Swati would lead the protest. If Swati is arrested, a new leader will be chosen to take command, according to the Dawn newspaper.
The political committee also criticised the disappearance of Gandapur. The committee warned that there would be ‘serious repercussions’ if he was arrested.
Former National Assembly speaker and senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser told the Dawn newspaper that PTI’s political committee decided to continue the protest if Khan gets a clear directive to end it.
“It was also decided that Azam Swati will lead the protest if Gandapur is arrested.” However, he warned, arresting a sitting chief minister would be disastrous for the country and there would be serious repercussions.
With inputs from agencies.