BREAKING:
— FJ (@Natsecjeff) May 24, 2022
Pakistani govt hands over security of Red Zone, Islamabad to Pakistan Army.
| This is related to Imran Khan supporters inciting violence. Twitter is full of reports of his party's people being arrested all over Pakistan |
| Update at 8:45 a.m.: Dawn has the most recent announcements by province here, including that there is a list of 400 more to be arrested if necessary. |
Pakistan’s police suddenly arrest dozens of supporters of ex-PM Khan
There was nothing in Dawn last night on this story, despite a flurry of tweets coming out of the country, so I held the Ay Pee article — which was all I could find — until this morning, when I awoke to find Dawn flooded with articles. Here is a selection, in reverse chronological order.
— trailing wife at 8:20 a.m. ET
[AyPee] The key opposition party led by recently ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan— trailing wife at 8:20 a.m. ET
...aka The Great Khan, who ain't the brightest knife in the national drawer...
accused police of detaining dozens of its supporters Monday in an attempt to foil a planned protest seeking to force Pakistain’s government into calling early elections.
Fawad Chaudhry, a front man for Khan’s Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is
Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
party, said the police operation began just after midnight and officers were still raiding the houses of supporters late in the day.
Khan took to Twitter, condemning the arrests of his supporters.
No government official was immediately available for comment.
The development came two days after Khan urged his supporters to gather in Islamabad on Wednesday for a demonstration that he said would continuuntil the government announced a date for snap elections.
Khan, who served as prime minister for over three and half years, was ousted by a no-confidence vote in parliament in April. He was replaced as prime minister by Shahbaz Sharif
...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab...Khan contends his removal was the result of a U.S.-organized plot. Washington has denied the claim, and Sharif calls it a pack of lies.
Imran asks 'neutrals', judges to do the right thing
[Dawn] PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday lashed out at the government for trying to stop the party's long march to Islamabad, asking the country's judiciary and 'neutrals' to "do the right thing".
He expressed these views while addressing a news conference in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistain's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire...
, in which he pilloried the government and described its recent moves as "akin to what dictators do".
His speech came a day after a police crackdown on his party workers, in which a number of workers were allegedly rounded up. A policeman was also martyred the same night in an operation in Lahore. The government and the PTI blame each other for the killing.
'Undemocratic, fascist': Politicians, journalists condemn late-night crackdown on PTI leaders
[Dawn] As the day of the PTI's 'Azadi March' looms, police in Punjab
1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots....
conducted late-night raids on the homes of several party leaders, drawing condemnations from politicians and journalists alike.
In videos being circulated on social media, coppers could be seen purportedly raiding the houses of Punjab-based PTI leaders including Hammad Azhar, Usman Dar, Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, Malik Waqar Ahmed, Engineer Kashif Kharal, Mazhar Iqbal Gujjar and others.
PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, in a tweet early on Tuesday morning, called the "brutal" crackdown the "fascist
...anybody you disagree with, damn them...nature of PML-N when in power". Peaceful protest was the right of the citizens, he said, adding that the crackdown raised serious questions about the "handlers".
The former premier recalled that during his tenure PPP, PML-N and JUI-F's anti-government marches were never stopped nor did the PTI government carry out any crackdown on their workers.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry claimed that the Punjab police raided nearly 1,100 houses last night, while over 400 PTI leaders, both men and women, had been arrested.
In a video message, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail claimed that PTI workers in Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
were "harassed" and taken into custody as well.
Columnist Huma Yusuf posted a video of retired Justice Nasira Iqbal, mother of PTI senator Walid Iqbal, who was woken up at 2am after the Punjab police "roughed up the night staff and left".
Barrister Asad Rahim Khan, meanwhile, noted that raiding Hammad Azhar's house without a single charge two days after former human rights
...which are usually entirely different from personal
liberty...
minister Shireen Mazari's arrest showed the "lawless, countrywide sweep against innocent political opponents".
Govt, PTI trade blame after policeman gunned down during raid in Lahore last night
Note that originally — at the bottom of the article — there was the promise to allow the march, then suddenly the decision was made to arrest everyone.
[Dawn] Federal ministers and PTI leaders blamed each other on Tuesday in the aftermath of the killing of a policeman who was shot full of holes during a raid in Lahore against people "taking the law into their own hands" last night.Kamal Ahmad, a police constable, was killed during an operation in Lahore's Model Town locality last night after an unidentified person opened fire on him, Lahore DIG Operations Sohail Chaudhry told news hounds outside a hospital.
The raid coincided with the post-midnight police crackdown on PTI leaders' residences, ahead of the party's planned long march to Islamabad on May 25 (tomorrow).
DIG Chaudhry, without naming any political party, said the police was cracking down on activists who were "taking the law into their own hands and doing hooliganism".
When the police party reached the home of an activist — Sajid Hussain, against whom the police filed an FIR afterwards — an unidentified person opened fire from its rooftop, the DIG said.
"A bullet hit the upper part of the constable's chest, which is a very critical area. A lot of effort was made [to save him] but when we reached here (the hospital), he had become frail."
The policeman later succumbed to his wounds, DIG Chaudhry said. He vowed that the person responsible for the firing would not be able to escape and raids were being conducted to arrest him.
FIR FILED
A first information report (FIR) filed later notably does not mention the police operation was linked to the raids on PTI leaders, but does identify the alleged shooter.
The FIR stated that a police party, during a search operation in Model Town, rang the doorbell of Hussain's house at 1:40am. Shortly afterwards, two "armed people", identified as Sajid Hussain and Akrama Bukhari, appeared on the terrace and Hussain asked in a "threatening tone" why they (police) had come to his house late at night, it said.
The police party responded that they were conducting a search operation regarding tenancy, according to the FIR. However Hussain and his son became angry and started "threatening the officials with dire consequences".
"Hussain asked his son Bukhari to fire straight at the police party. Bukhari, with the intention of killing, fired straight at the police party. A bullet struck the chest of Constable Kamal Ahmad, who was standing outside the house."
Hussain also fired at the police party and a bullet hit the government vehicle, the FIR stated. The constable went titzup, it added.
The FIR was registered under Sections 302 (murder), 34 (common intention), 324 (attempt to murder), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 427 (causing damage) of the Pakistain Penal Code, and Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act.
Both Hussain and his son Bukhari were arrested later, police said.
There were reports of late-night police action at the homes of former federal minister Hammad Azhar in Lahore, while the Lal Haveli residence of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed as well as the homes of Fayyazul Hasan Chohan and Ijaz Khan Jazi in Rawalpindi were also purportedly raided.
In addition, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry also claimed in a tweet that his home in Islamabad was under observation, which was why he had left for Jhelum.
Videos circulating on social media purportedly showed police raiding the homes of other Punjab-based PTI leaders, including Usman Dar, Malik Waqar Ahmed, Engineer Kashif Kharal, Mazhar Iqbal Gujjar and others.
GOVT, PTI TRADE BLAME
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah termed the policeman's killing "proof that [former prime minister and PTI Chairman] Imran Khan is a terrorist".
"Kamal Ahmad's killers are Imran Khan, Sheikh Rashid and their followers," he claimed and vowed to hold the planners of the "khooni (bloody) march" accountable.
The interior minister also claimed that Imran wanted to start a civil war in the country in the guise of the long march.
"We will prevent civil war, chaos and disorder in the country through the law," he stressed.
Meanwhile,
...back at the revival hall, the SWAT team had finally arrived...
former information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry claimed that police officials had "misbehaved" with women and kiddies and "tortured" people. Over 450 workers, including women, were taken into custody, he claimed.
"Ex-servicemen and people who are retired from civil institutions were also targeted. According to the reports, the family of a retired major shot up forced entry into their home after midnight believing they were robbers."
As a result, the policeman lost his life, he added and claimed that Sanaullah and Hamza were responsible for the incident.
Fawad said the police had conducted raids on 1,100 homes last night and entered people's houses without any warrants.
SECTION 144 IMPOSED IN PUNJAB
Later in the day, PML-N Deputy Secretary General Attaullah Tarar told a presser in Lahore that Section 144 was being imposed in the province, adding that the government had taken the decision after consulting with its allies.
He came down hard on the PTI, saying that they wanted to disrupt peace and spread anarchy in the province. "What was Constable Kamal Ahmad's fault? [...] What answer will you give to the five children he has left behind? Have you lost all of your humanity?" he asked.
The PML-N leader maintained that the official was merely performing his duty when PTI workers opened fire on him from the roof. He also called out the PTI chairman for "hiding" in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and alleged that he had directed party workers to collect weapons in an effort to disrupt peace in the province.
LATE-NIGHT CRACKDOWN
The opposition party's fears were realised late on Monday night, when despite assurances that their leaders will not be targeted or arrested ahead of the planned march on the capital, police raided the residences of several key PTI figures.
PTI chairman Imran had, on Sunday, announced the PTI's plans to hold an 'Azadi March' on Islamabad on May 25 (tomorrow), reportedly after talks with the establishment over early polls fell flat.
The police action was in stark contrast to the resolve expressed by PM Shehbaz’s spokesperson, who had claimed earlier in the day it had been decided not to arrest any PTI worker ahead of the long march.
Even Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal had made the same commitment when he said that the "coalition government believes in democracy and respects the right to protest". He claimed that as long as whatever Imran Khan does is within the boundaries of the law and Constitution, it would be accepted while the government will deal with protesters if there is any violation.
However,
Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried...
Hammad Azhar tweeted just before midnight that police had raided his house to arrest him, but that he managed to evade capture. Talking to news hounds, his mother claimed that a heavy police contingent had first knocked at their door before entering to search for her son.
After the incident, former Punjab health minister Yasmeen Rashid reached Azhar's residence and started a sit-in to protest the police action. Footage circulating on social media showed the former Punjab health minister, a cancer survivor, seated on the pavement as police vehicles were visible in the background.