The Islamabad Police on Thursday detained Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan and arrested more than 40 workers of his party in an attempt to thwart a major countrywide protest planned to seek Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation over corruption allegations. The police also surrounded Khan's house in Islamabad and that of Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed in Rawalpindi, Geo News reported. Awami Muslim League is an ally of Khan's party, and is supporting the protest.
On Thursday night, local authorities passed an order restricting public gatherings in the wake of the planned sit-in that will begin on November 2, Dawn reported. Khan said, "We told the government that we would remain peaceful if they had remained peaceful. Now the movement will take a different direction."
Party spokesperson Anila Khawaja said the party workers were arrested from Islamabad’s E-11 district during a youth meeting. “All of a sudden police arrived and started arresting people,” she said. Videos shot by local media showed that party workers beaten up with batons before being escorted to police vehicles. The police have also filed two separate First Information Reports against the activists.
A district administration spokesperson said, “For any convention, you need to seek permission from the district administration, even if it is indoors.” The official said the gathering was illegal, so the police detained those involved. Khan's party plans to block roads and shut down schools, public offices and the main international airport during the protest. However, a local court has asked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf not to block roads during their protests, and ordered the police to ensure that no such inconvenience is caused to the public.
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