Cops storm youth meet of Imran’s PTI, arrest scores of party workers

Cops thrash, detain party workers ahead of Nov 2 rally

The police on Thursday night stormed a youth convention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) here and arrested scores of party workers, even as a defiant Imran Khan vowed to go ahead with his protest next week despite a ban on political rallies demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation.

The police thrashed the PTI workers and detained them just when PTI vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi was to address the youth convention here, eyewitness said.

Mr Qureshi, who was present at the site, said the police raid manifested dictatorial tactics of the ruling government. He said the party workers neither had any weapons nor they were protesting, Express Tribune reported.

“On what basis they have arrested our party’s members?” Mr Qureshi questioned as he alleged that the government had arrested hundreds of PTI workers and the police tortured the female workers of the party as well.

“Hundreds of PTI workers were arrested

and female workers were tortured by the police,” Qureshi was quoted as saying by Dawn. “We will discuss the situation with IG Islamabad.”

The district administration in the National capital had imposed Section 144, banning public gatherings and display of weapons for two months. According to a notification more than five people cannot gather at a location. Public rallies and mass gatherings have been banned, Radio Pakistan reported.

The notification came ahead of the sit-in by Imran-led party planned for November 2. The party is protesting alleged money laundering by Mr Sharif and his family in the wake of the Panama Papers leak and is demanding the Premier’s resignation. Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court on Thursday ordered the Opposition and government to abstain from shutting down the capital.