Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) “Jail Bharo Tehreek” (fill prisons movement) appeared to be losing its steam as another day has passed without the arrest of a single leader or activist.
On the fourth day of the “movement”, PTI leaders and workers gathered in Multan’s Nawan Sheher Chowk on the call of party chairman Imran Khan. However, all of them return without being arrested by the police.
Anticipating multiple arrests, the police brought three prisoner vans to the locality but the PTI members left after only sitting in them.
PTI leader Amir Dogar said, while announcing the end of protest, said that they were waiting for police to arrest them but they didn’t arrive, adding that former lawmakers were also among the protesters gathered at Nawan Sheher Chowk.
Read more: PTI’s ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ enters 3rd day
“The police had parked their vehicles a kilometre away while we had announced to gather at Nawan Sheher Chowk,” he reasoned. Dogar further said that they were willing to voluntarily present themselves for the arrest on the call of Imran Khan and can come again in a day or two if the PTI chief asked.
A similar situation was witnessed in Peshawar on Thursday where not a single leader or activist was arrested.
4 گھنٹے سے پاکستان تحریک انصاف کے کارکنان گرفتاری دینے کے لئے نواں شہر چوک پر انتظار کر رہے ہیں۔ نہ امپورٹڈ حکومت کے سہولت کار آئے نہ ہی پنجاب پولیس
کوئی انکو بتائے کہ پنجاب کارکنان نواں شہر چوک پر گرفتاری دینے کے لئے انکا انتظار کررہے ہیں۔ #جیل_بھرو_خوف_کے_بت_توڑو pic.twitter.com/wwXZw21caA— PTI (@PTIofficial) February 25, 2023
In the evening amid the slogans of the PTI supporters, the sit-in staged by the party activists came to an end as the leaders announced that the police were reluctant to arrest them.
They announced that PTI chairman had ordered them to end the protest and sit-in.
Earlier this month, the PTI chief had announced that his party leadership would soon start “courting arrests” in response to the government’s roughshod tactics to muzzle the opposition party through “politically motivated” cases.
“The treatment meted out to Sheikh Rashid and Fawad Chaudhry is in front of everyone. What happened to Arshad Sharif is also in front of everyone,” Imran continued. Those who “tortured us on May 25 [during the PTI long march last year] are imposed again”.
Imran alleged that his party leaders were being threatened with dire consequences, including threats to their families, and coerced to sign “fake statements”. “Our people are being arrested and made to sign fake statements,” he said.
“If they desire to arrest us, we will fulfil it through the ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’. “Don’t scare us with jails. When our movement starts, there will be no space left in jails,” he said. “It will break the idol of fear.”