As the PTI’s ‘Azadi March’ approaches, Punjab police raided the houses of many party leaders late at night, garnering anger from politicians and journalists alike.
Police personnel can be seen raiding the homes of Punjab-based PTI leaders such as Hammad Azhar, Usman Dar, Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, Malik Waqar Ahmed, Engineer Kashif Kharal, Mazhar Iqbal Gujjar, and others in footage circulating on social media.
In a tweet early Tuesday morning, PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan described the “brutal” raid as the “fascist mentality of the PML-N when in power.” Citizens have the right to peaceful protest, he said, adding that the response raised significant concerns about the “handlers.”
“Already, the economy is in free fall. I’d want to warn the thieves and their managers that their undemocratic and fascist actions would worsen the economic situation and lead the country into chaos “He was cautious.
The former premier noted that anti-government marches by the PPP, PML-N, and JUI-F were never stopped during his term, and that the PTI government did not crack down on their members.
He went on to say, “This is the difference between democracies and kleptocrats.”
According to PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, Punjab police searched around 1,100 homes yesterday night, arresting over 400 PTI leaders, both men and women.
Meanwhile, Asad Umar, the party’s general secretary, said the “assault” had heightened PTI workers’ zeal and fervour, and that the “imported government” could be seen shaking with terror.
Shafqat Mahmood, the Punjab president of the PTI, also stated that the crackdown will not “deter” them. “The Azadi March will go ahead as planned,” he stated, emphasising that such measures would not deter patriotic Pakistanis from fighting for their beliefs.
Senator Faisal Javed of the PTI, on the other hand, has asked the courts to take notice of the “illegal crackdown.”
Roughing up families and invading privacy of homes, according to PPP MNA Nafisa Shah, is “hardly a democratic strategy to protest.”
She indicated that allowing a “localised protest” would be the best approach for the government to negotiate, and that the PTI march in Islamabad had now been reduced to a “sit-in.”
Former Sindh governor Imran Ismail said in a video message that PTI workers in Karachi were “harassed” and detained.
Journalist Mazhar Abbas of the media fraternity tweeted, “What is the government doing? The current PML(N) government and its coalition allies may suffer as a result of the raid for the arrest of PTI officials and members.”
Journalist Anas Mallick claimed that the nocturnal raids on PTI leaders will assist the party, but warned that such actions would put the government “under radar by any means.”
The mother of PTI senator Walid Iqbal, retired Justice Nasira Iqbal, was awakened up at 2 a.m. after Punjab police “roughed up the night staff and fled,” according to columnist Huma Yusuf.
“Witch-hunts have no place in democracies,” she remarked, calling the act disgusting.
“The illegitimate arrests of key PTI members would only serve to strengthen and popularise the party. Again, this is a bad move that will negatively impact elections. PPP’s silence continues to surprise me. I had high hopes, “Ambreen Qureshi, chairperson of the National Women Lawyers Society, tweeted about it.
Meanwhile, Hammad Azhar’s house was raided without a single charge two days after former human rights minister Shireen Mazari was arrested, demonstrating the “lawless, national sweep of innocent political opponents,” according to Barrister Asad Rahim Khan.
“The government’s actions over the last two days have pushed everything into pandemonium. In the midst of an economic downturn, the immediate necessity is to lower the temperature “he added.
“Pre-emptive arrests are a disgraceful part of our colonial heritage that is being used by the current government to repress PTI,” activist Ammar Ali Jan stated.
He went on to say that protest should be allowed within the bounds of the law, and that those who break the law should be prosecuted.
“Imagine what regular Pakistanis go through at the hands of law enforcement authorities,” said lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir, who posted the video of Iqbal recalling her ordeal.
He claimed that the PML-N was acting in the “same authoritarian methods” as the PTI. “Both did it with the support of [the] establishment, whose political intervention remains our main concern,” he stated.
