LAHORE: A day after Punjab police booked some 400 workers and activists of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the anti-government alliance of the 11 opposition parties, from across the province for flouting the Covid-19 guidelines, the party on Thursday approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the crackdown.
The police had also arrested scores of PML-N and PDM workers ahead of the movement’s first public show on Friday in Gujranwala. In its response, the PML-N claimed the government made the move to “sabotage the rally”.
The petition filed with the high court suggested the arrests were made in the violation of Article-15 of the constitution, urging the court to release the detainees. The petitioner, Nasir Chohan, also sought court intervention against the blocking of roads through the placement of containers and barricades.
Chohan claimed the PTI government in the province had directed the police to stop the opposition leaders and workers from reaching the venue.
He maintained every citizen of the country enjoys the constitutional right to protest.
Earlier, reacting to the reports of arrests, PML-N Secretary General Ahsa Iqbal declared the “rejected Niazi” will have to go, adding his party was not afraid of arrests.
Similarly, PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah Khan, during a conversation with newsmen in Lahore, claimed the government had no policy except that of persecution and registration of fake cases were being registered against the opponents.
“The people are tired of the [PTI] government,” he declared.
In a statement, PPP Central Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira, while lamenting what he said was police rule, said his party workers were not afraid of prison time.
“The government has nothing for the people except inflation, joblessness and hate,” the PPP leader remarked.
