In a significant escalation of political tensions, key leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were arrested as authorities intensified their crackdown on the party.
Senior PTI figures, including Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, were detained by Islamabad Police on Monday following a rally in the capital’s Sangjani area.
Ali Muhammad Khan and Aamir Dogar left Parliament House without incident, while other leaders like Barrister Gauhar, Zain Qureshi, and Waqas Akram returned to the National Assembly seeking protection from the ongoing crackdown.
Sher Afzal Marwat was arrested after leaving a National Assembly session, while Shoaib Shaheen was detained at his home.
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was apprehended outside Parliament as part of a coordinated operation, and Marwat’s private security guard was also arrested for allegedly resisting the police.
PTI sources revealed that Zartaj Gul narrowly avoided arrest by fleeing in a vehicle. Police confirmed they are actively pursuing her and other PTI leaders, including Hammad Azhar, Naeem Haider Panjutha, Khalid Khursheed, and Kanwal Shauzab, all of whom attended the rally.
According to the FIR, PTI workers clashed with police, throwing stones and using batons when security forces tried to stop them from deviating from the approved rally route. Police responded with tear gas and arrested 17 PTI activists on the spot.
These arrests were made under the newly-enacted Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024, which regulates public gatherings.
Sher Afzal Marwat was reportedly arrested under this law, with further arrests of Punjab-based PTI leaders expected soon.