Lahore: Ousted prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Wednesday kicked off "Jail Bharo Tehreek" from Lahore over what the party called the violation of fundamental rights, abuse of the Constitution and the economic meltdown. The party shared footage of senior leaders, including former federal ministers Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Senator Azam Swati and former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, sitting inside a police van. They asked the police present there to arrest them.
"Today 200 PTI workers and Lahore leadership including myself have presented themselves for arrest," said Qureshi, who is the vice-chairman of the party. "This movement will continue until the imported government puts an end to the lawlessness in the country" and is held accountable for the last 10 months in the people's court, he added. A large number of PTI workers and leaders gathered at the Jail Road. Some of the workers had chained and kept themselves in an 'artificial jail' they made.
The government has imposed section 144 on different roads including Mall Road Lahore under which not more than five people can gather there. "We have violated section 144 to go to jail," Qureshi insisted. The Punjab government and Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, however, said that police will not arrest any PTI worker for violating section 144. "Only those PTI leaders will be arrested who are wanted in corruption or any other criminal cases," Sanaullah said.
"The PTI leaders are doing photo sessions after boarding a police van in Lahore. They need political mileage through such stunts," he said, adding that through this campaign 70-year-old Imran Khan wants to create anarchy in the country. Information Minister Marriyum Auranzeb said that the PTI leaders have attacked a police van. "The PTI leadership will be arrested for attacking the police van," she added. On the other hand, Khan said that he has started the "Jail Bharo Tehreek" (court arrest movement) for Haqeeqi Azadi for two main reasons. "One, it is a peaceful, non-violent protest against the attack on our constitutionally-guaranteed fundamental rights. We are facing sham FIRs & NAB cases, custodial torture, attacks on journalists & social."