PTI moves LHC against arrests ahead of Lahore rally

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday moved Lahore High Court (LHC) against arrests ahead of party rally at Minar-e-Pakistan Lahore, ARY News reported.

As per details, the plea seeking protection against the arrests of its workers and leaders ahead of its rally scheduled for September 21 was filed by Sheikh Imtiaz and Yasir Gillani.

The plea stated that the police are arresting party members in Punjab, violating their constitutional right to organize rally.

The petitioners requested the court to order the authorities to stop the arrests and allow the rally to take place peacefully.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is scheduled to hold a rally in Lahore on September 21.

Earlier, several PTI MNAs including party chairman Barrister Gohar were arrested by Islamabad police following the Sangjani rally in Islamabad.

Barrister Gohar, Sher Afzal Marwat were arrested outside while Zain Qureshi and Sheikh Waqas Akram were taken into custody from inside the Parliament House.

Additionally, police detained Owais Ahmed Chatha, Syed Shah Ahmed, Sunni Ittehad Council’s Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Yousaf Khan, Maulana Naseem Shah, and Ahmed Shah Khattak.

Sources said Speaker NA Ayaz Sadiq allowed arrest of PTI MNAs outside the premises of the house. The development followed after police presented a copy of FIR registered against the PTI lawmakers for violating SOPs during September 8 public rally.

Additionally, three cases have been registered under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill in Islamabad, citing violations of the event’s NOC. The FIR names 28 individuals, including PTI leaders Barrister Gohar Ali, Sher Afzal Marwat, Shoaib Shaheen, Omar Gul, Zartaj Gul, Aamir Mughal, Seemabia Tahir, and Raja Basharat.