Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers arrested during the November 24 protest and currently in police custody have made alarming disclosures in a video released by law enforcement, ARY News reported.
According to details, the arrested individuals, identified as Sajjad, Khursheed Awan, Raees Muhammad, and Ayaz, stated that senior PTI leaders fled the scene as the arrests commenced.
Sajjad, one of the arrested workers, mentioned that the leadership had summoned them for a protest and provided 50,000 rupees for travel expenses. He recounted that chaos ensued during the event, leading to his arrest while the senior leaders escaped.
Khursheed explained that he was en route to Islamabad for business purposes. However, due to road closures and a lack of transportation options, he boarded a bus filled with protesters who appeared aggressive and armed with stones and sticks.
Also read: PTI founder, Bushra Bibi, others booked in terrorism case
When the police attempted to intervene on their way, the protesters retaliated by throwing stones, resulting in their subsequent arrests. He noted that he witnessed the destruction caused by the protesters but was apprehended by the police, nonetheless.
Another arrested individual stated that he hails from Torghar and works in a hotel. He recounted that some PTI representatives approached him, instructing him to provide food during the protest and accompany them. He was arrested while serving food after the protesters engaged in vandalism, at which point the leaders fled the scene.
Ayaz, on the arrested workers, shared that he traveled from Abbottabad, brought there by Ali Khan Jadoon. He indicated that when the protesters began vandalizing, Jadoon abandoned them, leaving them vulnerable to arrest.
It is worth noting that PTI protesters retreated after former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who were leading the protest, fled after security forces carried out a grand operation late on Tuesday night in Islamabad.
Later, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, announced that 954 protesters have been arrested over the past three days, with 610 arrested alone.
Addressing a press conference along with the chief commissioner Islamabad, the IGP reported the confiscation of over 200 vehicles and 39 various types of weapons, including Kalashnikovs, 12-bore guns, and other firearms during PTI protest.
“We have all the video evidence showing armed protesters advancing with masks on their faces,” he said.
IGP further disclosed that 52 out of 71 injured individuals were law enforcement personnel. “Protesters used large fans to blow tear gas fumes back towards our forces,” he explained.
Weapons were seized in large numbers from arrested protesters, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
