LAHORE: The government launched a crackdown late on Monday night on Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers as the party prepares for a long march to Islamabad.
The action came after a PML-N party meeting chaired by PM Shehbaz Sharif and attended by his elder brother Nawaz via video link decided that the government would not be dictated by ousted premier Imran Khan’s demand for early elections. The PML-N leadership directed the interior minister to deal with the PTI’s long march.
Punjab Police late on Monday raided the houses of several PTI leaders, including former energy minister Hammad Azhar, Usman Dar, and Babar Awan.
There were also reports that the Lal Haveli residence of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in Rawalpindi as well as the homes of Fayyazul Hasan Chohan and Ijaz Khan Jazi were also raided.
Police has decided to invade and camp in @Hammad_Azhar house. He’s not there yet they are not leaving and harassing his family. All PTI workers should rush to his house and help them. They must regret their oppression .
— Sayed Z Bukhari (@sayedzbukhari) May 23, 2022
PTI’s Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry warned the government against using force to stop the long march set to begin on May 25. The former information minister also claimed in a tweet that his home in Islamabad was under observation and he had left for Jhelum.
According to reports, around 73 workers have been arrested so far. Police raided Hammad Azhar’s house in Lahore, however, he was not present.
Hammad Azhar tweeted just before midnight that police had raided his house to arrest him but he managed to evade capture. His mother claimed that a heavy police contingent had first knocked at their door before entering to search for her son.
After the incident, former Punjab health minister Yasmeen Rashid reached Azhar’s residence and started a sit-in to protest the police action. Footage circulating on social media shows her seated on the pavement as police vehicles were visible in the background.
Mr. Crime Minister @CMShehbaz nation will not forget this fascism.#PakistanUnderFascism#حقیقی_آزادی_مارچ pic.twitter.com/43R6NPju2m
— PTI (@PTIofficial) May 23, 2022
Lahore Police also raided the residence of PTI’s former information secretary, Farrukh Javed, but he escaped via his home’s back door. I n Lahore’s Jauhar Town, PTI MPA Sadia Sohail said her house had also been raided.
The house of PTI leader in Lahore Meher Naeemullah Taj was also raided. He alleged that police misbehaved with his family members and manhandled his employees.
Police raided the residences of PTI leaders Malik Ishtiaq and Yasir Gillani, but they were also not present. In Sialkot, the house of Firdous Ashiq Awan, ex-provincial minister Chaudhry Ikhlaq, and PTI leader Tahir Hundli’s houses were raided. Sialkot Police also raided the residence of Usman Dar.
