{"id":17017,"date":"2023-10-23T05:50:08","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T05:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/pti-convention-derailed-in-lahore-as-80-held-in-police-raids\/"},"modified":"2023-10-23T05:50:08","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T05:50:08","slug":"pti-convention-derailed-in-lahore-as-80-held-in-police-raids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/pti-convention-derailed-in-lahore-as-80-held-in-police-raids\/","title":{"rendered":"PTI convention derailed in Lahore as 80 held in police raids"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\u2022 Local leader claims police ransacked furniture, took away CCTV cameras, LCDs, documents
\u2022 DC office claims PTI did not \u2018follow up with its permission request\u2019
\u2022 Omar Ayub terms action \u2018state terrorism\u2019<\/p>\n

LAHORE: At least 80 PTI workers were captured during an overnight crackdown, while the residence and offices of a local party leader and his family were raided in the early hours of Sunday morning in what appeared to be a bid to block a workers\u2019 convention that the party had planned after obtaining \u2018formal maiden permission\u2019 from the district administration.<\/p>\n

PTI candidate for National Assembly from NA-123 (Kahna Nau), Advocate Afzaal Azeem Pahat had formally sought permission to hold a corner meeting in the constituency and preparations were accordingly afoot. PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif has contested from this constituency in the past.<\/p>\n

However, the police raided Mr Pahat and his elder brother\u2019s residence and offices early in the morning.<\/p>\n

According to PTI leaders, police entered the private quarters without warrants and harassed the men, as well as the women and children of their household. Police also picked up some 80 PTI workers and supporters from the convention venue and Mr Pahat\u2019s law offices.<\/p>\n

Following the crackdown, the planned convention did not take place.<\/p>\n

Condemning what he described as \u201cstate terrorism\u201d against party workers, PTI secretary general Omar Ayub Khan commented, \u201cOne country, two systems\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cPTI Workers Convention organisers\u2019 home and law chambers are raided and vandalised, but a convicted, absco\u00adnder prisoner, Mian Nawaz Sharif, is given full protocol,\u201d he lamented in a posting on X.<\/p>\n

The party pointed out that it had obtained permission for the public meeting from the deputy commissioner\u2019s office, which had directed the DIG (Operations) and the Chief Traffic Officer, Lahore, to take the required measures in this connection.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the deputy commissioner\u2019s spokesman, when contacted, told Dawn<\/em> that the DC office had never issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the public\/corner meeting. It claimed they had only issued a letter to the DIG Police (Operations) and CTO Lahore, for \u201cnecessary action\u201d and then afterwards neither the PTI applicant nor the civil administration approached the DC office for formal permission.<\/p>\n

The spokesman claimed the DC office also did not recommend launching any legal action.<\/p>\n

Answering a question whether the PML-N had sought a formal NOC for holding workers\u2019 conventions and corner meetings in Lahore, the spokesman said such small events did not need NOC from the DC office but were managed at a lower level i.e. the police station concerned.<\/p>\n

The raid<\/strong><\/p>\n

Posting a video on social media, Mr Pahat said police raided his and his brother\u2019s law chambers and ransacked furniture and fixtures and took away CCTV cameras, an LCD and documents. \u201cThe police [came] in 15-20 vehicles [and] raided and ransacked a lawyer\u2019s office which was tantamount to terrorism,\u201d Mr Pahat stated and added that he would \u201ctake them to task\u201d.<\/p>\n

PTI Lahore information secretary Shayan Bashir told Dawn<\/em> that convention preparations were being made but the news of police and plainclothesmen raid early in the morning created panic among supporters.<\/p>\n

Even after Mr Pahat\u2019s law chamber had been ransacked, the party continued its preparations for the convention but the situation changed completely when police brought in several prison vans to the venue at around 1:30pm.<\/p>\n

He alleged that police baton-charged party workers and even thrashed journalists and YouTubers, who were there to cover the convention. He said some workers escaped and reached Mr Pahat\u2019s law chamber but they were chased by the police. Police picked up some 80 PTI workers and took them away in prison vans.<\/p>\n

The spokesman sarcastically said PTI workers have now realised what level-playing field is and added the encouraging aspect was that several people had still mustered up courage to come out on roads carrying party flags. He alleged that PML-N was holding workers\u2019 conventions and corner meetings without getting any permission from the DC office.<\/p>\n

Summing up the situation, secretary general Ayub Khan said the Punjab police along with armed men in plainclothes had raided the house of Mr Pahat without a warrant. Attaching a video, he stated that plain-clothed and baton-wielding people could be seen in the video and police did not show any warrants upon request.<\/p>\n

He stated that permission for the convention was granted by the DC as per the Lahore High Court\u2019s instructions.<\/p>\n

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2023<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2022 Local leader claims police ransacked furniture, took away CCTV cameras, LCDs, documents\u2022 DC office claims PTI did not \u2018follow up with its permission request\u2019\u2022 Omar Ayub terms action \u2018state terrorism\u2019 LAHORE: At least 80 PTI workers were captured during an overnight crackdown, while the residence and offices of a local party leader and his 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