The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has been granted a three-day physical remand of 11 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, who were arrested on Friday in connection with an FIR registered at the Banigala police station. According to the FIR, a group of 30 to 35 people led by PTI leaders Shoaib Shaheen, Amir Mughal, and Alamgir Khan appeared on Bahria Enclave Road, despite the imposition of Section 144 in the capital. The police intercepted the group and informed them of the restrictions, but the PTI workers allegedly blocked the road from both sides and put up resistance against the authorities.
The FIR states that many participants of the rally were armed and attacked the police, tearing the uniforms of two constables, snatching a wireless set from an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), and a private 9mm pistol from a Sub-Inspector (SI). The PTI workers also allegedly pelted the police vehicle with stones and hit it with batons. As the situation escalated, an Anti-Riot Unit was deployed, but the PTI leaders and workers managed to escape the scene. The police, however, arrested 11 workers and recovered PTI flags and batons from them.
The police produced the arrested PTI workers before a magistrate, who granted the CTD a three-day physical remand for interrogation. The FIR has been registered under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, along with Sections 382, 341, 353, 186, 188, 427, 148, 149, and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code. This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the PTI and the authorities in Islamabad, as the political landscape in Pakistan continues to be marked by confrontations and clashes. The court’s decision to grant the CTD a remand of the arrested PTI workers suggests that the investigation into the alleged incident is ongoing, and the authorities are determined to hold those responsible accountable.
It remains to be seen how this case will unfold and what implications it may have on the broader political dynamics in the country. The situation underscores the need for all parties to engage in constructive dialogue and find peaceful solutions to their differences, in order to maintain law and order and uphold the democratic process.
