LAHORE: Senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including chairman Imran Khan, have been charged for allegedly “attacking police” and “using foul language” against security institutions in Lahore.
The incident took place after Section 144 was imposed to suspend public gatherings in the provincial capital.
As per the first information report (FIR), filed by a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in Raiwand, a group of around 300-400 people committed acts of violence in the city and hurled abuse at state institutions.
The FIR, which was lodged today, cites Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and Sections 147, 149, 353, 186, 302, 324, 188, 427, 290, 291, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Furthermore, the complaint alleges that party workers were incited to abuse the institutions by former prime minister Khan, Hassan Niazi, Hammad Azhar, Mian Mahmood ur-Rasheed, Farrukh Habib, Fawad Chaudhry, and Ejaz Chaudhry.
According to the FIR, the violent mob threw stones and attacked police with wooden sticks, resulting in injuries to 13 police personnel, while six PTI workers were also hurt due to violence perpetrated by their own party members.
Responding to the development, Chaudhry said he had been in Islamabad for the past two days, occupied with the preparation of a petition that is scheduled to be heard later today.
“… I have been charged with vandalism in Lahore. Guess what kind of officers have been posted by General Dyer Mohsin Naqvi [sic] in Lahore,” he tweeted, referring to Reginald Dyer who as a British army officer was responsible for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar.
میں دو دن سے اسلام آباد ہوں جہاں عمران خان کی سیکیورٹی کیلئے پیٹیشن دائر کر رہے تھے اس کیس کو آج سنا جائیگا، لیکن حالت یہ ہے کہ مجھ پر لاہور میں توڑ پھوڑ اور دفعہ 144 کا پرچہ کٹ گیا ہے:) اندازہ لگائیں کیسے کیسے لوگ جنرل ڈائیر محسن نقوی نے لاہور میں لگائے ہیں pic.twitter.com/xHSVOc8HrV
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 9, 2023
SECTION 144 LIFTED
Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court (LHC) was informed by the caretaker government of Punjab that the ban on public gatherings imposed in the provincial capital had been lifted.
The administration of Mohsin Naqvi had imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1898 in the provincial capital to avoid any untoward incident owing to multiple public gatherings that were planned in the city. These included the Aurat March on International Women’s Day and the scheduled PTI rally.
The opposition party had challenged the move in the court, claiming that the provincial authorities were obstructing the election process.
During the hearing, Punjab’s top law officer informed the court the government had lifted Section 144 due to security threats. He said that “yesterday was a sensitive day, so the implementation of Section 144 was the right step.”
Following this announcement, the court disposed of PTI leader Azhar’s petition.
