Several leaders affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) find themselves entangled in legal proceedings for their involvement in protests and rallies held in Lahore and Islamabad. In the capital, Kohsar police have filed a case against PTI leaders and a multitude of unnamed individuals, totaling around 1,000, alleging disruptions to governmental operations, violations of Section 144, and the display of weapons during a rally. Notable figures like Sher Afzal Marwat, Ali Bukhari, Shafqat Awan, and Shoaib Shaheen are among those named. Additionally, Aamir Mughal, Shaukat Basra, Ayaz Amir, Khalid Khurshid, and Seemabia Tahir have been implicated in the same case.
Meanwhile, in Lahore, PTI leaders and activists face further legal complications following their arrest, as a case has been registered against them at the Old Anarkali police station. Serious charges including terrorism, kidnapping, vehicle tampering, and harassment have been levied against them. Individuals such as Fauzia, Hadira, and Hamida Bibi have been named in the FIR, which alleges that during the protest, Hafiz Farhat Abbas incited violence leading to property damage and arson.
The FIR also accuses PTI workers of damaging a government vehicle and claims that Abbas and his associates fired shots during the demonstration, one of which struck an official vehicle. Additionally, Abbas and his accomplices allegedly assaulted a police constable, attempting to abduct him before he was rescued at Istanbul Chowk.
Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja were arrested
In response to the incident, law enforcement has apprehended 42 individuals and confiscated protest-related paraphernalia. Prior to this, approximately 40 PTI leaders and activists had already been booked on various charges including terrorism and interference in public affairs, stemming from their participation in a protest on Mall Road in Lahore against alleged election rigging in 2024.
The first investigation report (FIR) suggests that Hafiz Farhat Abbas played a pivotal role in instigating PTI activists to engage in unlawful activities, leading to property damage and violence. Abbas, along with unidentified accomplices, is accused of firing shots and assaulting a police constable. Police detained Abbas and recovered a firearm from him, along with batons and clubs from other arrested suspects.
More to read:PTI Protests Met with Arrests: Alleged Election Manipulation
Furthermore, during countrywide protests organized by the PTI against alleged electoral malpractice on February 8, several party leaders, including Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja, while both were released later on, were detained in various cities, reflecting the escalating tension surrounding the perceived manipulation of election results and the purported usurpation of PTI’s electoral mandate.