Pakistan Police halt Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf election rally; seizes sound system
Feb 04, 2024
Islamabad [Pakistan], February 4 : Ahead of the February 8 general elections, the Pakistan police stopped the electoral rally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and seized their sound system along with the vehicles, as reported by The Express Tribune.
The incident took place at the Central Election and Liaison Office in Latifabad during the ongoing rally for National Assembly candidate Mustansar Billah.
As soon as they got the information, the police contingent reached the site and instructed the participants of the rally to halt immediately, according to The Express Tribune.
Later, the police intervention led to a heated argument between a police officer and the PTI candidate.
However, police mobile units were stationed at the liaison office to prevent any kind of rally by the party ahead of the elections.
Earlier this week, Pakistan police intensified the crackdown on PTI leaders and workers and have picked up over three dozen more party workers for being allegedly involved in violence during a rally at Teen Talwar over the weekend, Dawn reported.
They have been arrested on charges of rioting and attacking policemen, among other crimes.
Apart from the dozens of PTI leaders and workers named in the arson and terrorism FIR registered on behalf of the state after the Teen Talwar rally and violence, the police have also booked around 5000 unnamed workers of the party and have continued to carry out raids across the city to arrest them.
Moreover, on Friday, PTI intra-party elections, which were due to be held on February 5, were postponed.
PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said that the decision was announced on the directives of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.
Gohar Khan said, "Intra-party elections can divert the attention of candidates and voters from the general elections." PTI appears to remain in limbo, mainly after the party was not given its electoral symbol "bat" after months of a legal battle with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Notably, Pakistan is gearing up to hold elections on February 8.
