— Police carry out late-night raids on residences of PTI office-bearers, activists
— Emergency N League huddle decides to ‘fight’ march
— Thousands of police, riot force, Rangers personnel deployed in and around Islamabad
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: A policeman was shot dead in the upscale Model Town neighbourhood of Lahore during a series of late-night raids on the residences of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders, activists and retired servicemen launched as part of a nationwide crackdown announced in the wake of the party’s proposed long march on Islamabad.
Kamal Ahmad, a constable, was killed in the wee hours of Tuesday when an unidentified person opened fire on him, Sohail Chaudhry, Lahore deputy inspector general (DIG) of operations, told pressmen outside General Hospital in the provincial capital.
He said when a police mobile reached the home of one Sajid Hussain, who he claimed was an activist and against whom the police filed a first information report (FIR) afterwards, an unidentified person opened fire from the rooftop.
“A bullet hit the upper part of the constable’s chest, which is a very critical area. Efforts were made [to save him] but when we reached the hospital, he had become frail.”
Interestingly, the FIR does not mention the crackdown was linked to the raids on former prime minister Imran Khan’s aides but identifies the suspected shooter as a PTI activist.
Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan confirmed a policeman was killed in one of the raids, when the man opened fire on policemen who had entered his house.
Khan, the former prime minister, has called for his supporters to march peacefully on Islamabad on May 25, to press for fresh elections.
In his speech on Saturday, Khan urged authorities not to oppose the march, which will gain strength outside of Islamabad before heading to the city centre. There, he says his supporters will remain until Parliament is dissolved and new elections are called.
But today, Chaudhry, without naming any party, said the police were cracking down on people who were “taking the law into their own hands and doing hooliganism”.
CRACKDOWN
PTI senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry said police launched the operation shortly after midnight on Monday. Homes of the party’s supporters were still being raided on Tuesday morning and at least 400 supporters from the party were arrested across the country, Chaudhry said.
Early on Tuesday, a police party entered the Lahore residence of former minister Hammad Azhar to arrest him but learnt he was not present in the house.
Thread on US Imposed Fascist Regime ( Share )
In Pakistan, Police is illegally raiding & harassing civilians for protest against Us imported regime.
1. PTI MNA Hammad Azhar Mother harassed by Police in Lahorepic.twitter.com/GAAkn3raWL#PakistanUnderFascism
— Truth Media ➐ (@FactCheckAsia) May 23, 2022
Protesting the raids and subsequent arrests, Dr. Yasmeen Rashid, another former minister and cancer survivor, staged a sit-in outside Azhar’s residence.
Ex Health Minister of Punjab Dr Yasmin Rashid ( a cancer patient) manhandled by Punjab Police#حقیقی_آزادی_مارچpic.twitter.com/5CwofRFcfw
— Truth Media ➐ (@FactCheckAsia) May 23, 2022
The Lal Haveli residence of Awami Muslim League (AML) president Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, and the homes of Fayyaz ul-Hasan Chohan and Ejaz Khan in Rawalpindi were also raided.
In addition, Chaudhry also said his house in Islamabad was under police observation which was why he had left for his hometown of Jhelum.
In Karachi, Sindh police arrested PTI MP Saif ur-Rehman from the Gulshan-i-Iqbal neighbourhood. Police also detained the father of Sindh Assembly lawmaker Shah Nawaz Jadoon from his residence in Kiamari Town.
There were also reports of the arrest of another PTI MP Attaullah Khan Niazi.
Videos circulating on social media platforms showed police raiding the residences of other PTI leaders from Punjab, including Usman Dar, Malik Waqar Ahmed, Kashif Kharal and Mazhar Iqbal Gujjar, among others.
Punjab police physically assaulted daughter & wife of PTI worker Rehan bin Javed pic.twitter.com/A6ZED0icq6
— Truth Media ➐ (@FactCheckAsia) May 23, 2022
Meanwhile, the Islamabad district administration sealed the Red Zone neighbourhood and set up containers at the D-Chowk late on Monday.
Sanaullah also summoned the army for the security of the sensitive neighbourhood. The troops will reportedly be stationed at Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif’s official residence, the Supreme Court and other high-profile buildings located in the area.
Meanwhile, Section 144 has also been imposed in the capital for two months. According to a notification, the curbs have been extended up to one kilometre of the Red Zone.
Khan condemned the arrests on Twitter. “The brutal crackdown[ […] has once again shown us what we are familiar with — the fascist nature of PML-N when in power.”
“The present crackdown also raises serious questions [about] the handlers,” he said, in a thinly veiled reference to the military.
Peaceful protest is the right of all our citizens. The brutal crackdown on PTI ldrs & workers in Punjab & Islamabad has once again shown us what we are familiar with – the fascist nature of PMLN when in power. The present crackdown also raises serious questions abt the Handlers.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 23, 2022
Authorities confirmed the raids but refused to share details about any arrests.
SHARIF ADMIN TO FIGHT MARCH
Chaudhry’s comments came as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), feeling the heat from Khan’s rising popularity, took a U-turn on Tuesday and decided to stop the so-called Azadi March.
According to Geo News, the decision to stop the protest was taken during a meeting of the party’s political committee held under the chair of its president and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Sanaullah gave a briefing on the law and order and measures he’s taken to ensure peace and security of the public. He also accused Khan of seeking to create a civil war-like situation.
Sharif said the state’s writ will not be compromised at any cost and “every illegal action” of PTI will be blocked.
The meeting decided to take legal action in case of any violent or provocative act.
POLICE DEPLOYED
Meanwhile, the government is understood to have prepared a plan to deal with the participants of the march.
Per the plan, a total of 22,000 police will be deployed for security in Islamabad alone.
Reportedly, the Islamabad administration has also summoned forces from other provinces. Some 8,000 personnel of the Punjab Constabulary, and 2,000 of the riot police have been deployed across the capital to deal with the protesters.
The administration has also called in 2,000 police from Sindh. Besides, 500 women police officials will also perform security duties.
4,000 Rangers personnel, as well as 100 prisoner wagons, were also called in from different provinces.
15,000 tear gas shells were also acquired to disperse the demonstrators.
On the other hand, the Punjab government has decided to stop the march at Jhelum and police have started placing containers to block the G.T. Road near the Jhelum river bridge.
