LAHORE: Scores of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and leaders have been arrested as the Punjab police’s brutal crackdown continues against the party’s supporters ahead of tonight’s public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan.
Punjab police conducted a raid at PTI senior leader – a candidate from PP-158 – Mehtab Hussain’s residence in Lahore but he was not present at home.
In Multan, the police arrested the son of former MPA Javed Akhtar Ansari in a raid and arrested PTI workers across the district.
The residence of Arslan Butt – a former staff officer of Shahbaz Gill – was also raided by the police in Burewala but he was not present at his home.
The police have arrested over 50 PTI workers from different areas of Rahim Yar Khan, while 26 workers were arrested in Multan.
Also read: Roadblocks in place as State flexes its muscles to curb PTI power show
The PTI claimed that many workers have also been detained from Lodhran and Bhakkar, Vehari and Faisalabad.
Earlier today, the former premier called on his supporters to “assert their right as people of a free nation” by attending the rally.
They will put all sorts of hurdles to prevent people from attending, but I want to remind our ppl that it is their fundamental right to attend a political gathering. Everyone must assert their right as people of a free nation that won its independence & come to Minar i Pakistan.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 25, 2023
He added that the PTI would be holding its sixth public gathering at Minar-i-Pakistan, which he felt would “break all records”.
