Pakistan: PTI leader Shahbaz Gill arrested for brandishing weapons during Punjab by-polls
Jul 17, 2022
Punjab [Pakistan], July 17 : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill was arrested from Muzaffargarh on Sunday for allegedly carrying and displaying weapons on his visit to polling stations during the Punjab by-elections.
The former federal minister was arrested as he was caught brandishing weapons on his visit to polling stations PP-272 and PP-73.
Right after the news of Gill's arrest surfaced, PTI leaders took to Twitter to criticise the move and branded it an attempt to "rig the elections".
PTI chief Imran Khan said, "These fascist tactics will not work and our people will not be deterred from exercising their right to vote." In another tweet later, he demanded the courts to "open now" and act against the brazen violations of the Supreme Court's orders and electoral rules.
As per the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), "Carriage and display of all kinds of lethal weapons and firearms shall not be allowed in public meetings and processions and official regulations in respect thereof shall be strictly observed. Aerial firing, use of crackers and other explosives at public meetings shall not be allowed."
This is a part of ECP's election code of conduct for political parties and candidates, reported Dawn.
While speaking with media, the district police officer of Muzaffargarh said that Gill was taken into custody from a factory owned by PTI candidate Muazzam Ali along with his guards. They have been taken to an undisclosed location, he said.
No first information report (FIR) has been registered so far. As per the visuals circulated on television, Gill can be seen with guards clad in Frontier Corps uniform.
It is interesting to note that even before his arrest, Gill had tweeted that he was ready to get arrested.
"Before you reach anyone else, I am presenting myself for arrest," he tweeted, claiming he was "trapped in a factory". "Imran Khan's soldier is not afraid of such tactics. We did not come to do terrorism."
Earlier, in another similar instance, in a video posted on his YouTube channel, Gill alleged that polling agents in Muzaffargarh's PP-272 had not been allowed to enter the polling stations.
"We reached out to the ECP but they refuted the complaints. Now, they have sent police to take my guards. What is their purpose? They want to arrest me," he said.
"So, I will do you a favour and present myself for arrest," the PTI leader said. "As long as I am standing here, I won't let you arrest anyone."
