- Sher Afzal Marwat condemns ‘deplorable and intolerable’ act by Punjab Police
- SCBA says trend of targeting and arresting members of legal fraternity is alarming
LAHORE: Punjab Police on Sunday took into custody Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja during the party’s protest against the rigging in recently held general elections.
Confirming the arrest of his father, Balakh Sher Khosa, son of Latif Khosa, expressed concern over the incident.
“It has come to our attention that Sardar Latif Khosa has been taken into custody, an act that is utterly deplorable and wholly intolerable,” stated party leader Sher Afzal Marwat on his official X handle.
“It has come to our attention that Sardar Latif Khosa has been taken into custody, an act that is utterly deplorable and wholly intolerable. The authorities in Punjab need to quickly stop this unfair behavior. The liberty to protest in a peaceful manner is a right of ours”, Sher Afzal Marwat wrote on his X account.
Taking to X, Sher Afzal Marwat called the arrest “utterly deplorable and wholly intolerable”, adding that the authorities in Punjab need to stop the “unfair behaviour”.
Salman Akram Raja, another prominent PTI leader, was also detained by police. Advocate Muhammad Mehr Salim was among those arrested alongside Raja.
Meanwhile, rallies and demonstrations, organised by PTI supporters and activists, were witnessed across the country, with gatherings reported in Rawalpindi, Karachi, Kandhkot, Tank, and other urban centres.
In Lahore, according to media reports, authorities deployed a heavy police presence on Mall Road and surrounding areas to maintain order, resulting in several PTI workers being arrested from GPO Chowk.
Similar preparations were made in Karachi, where police and Sindh Rangers were stationed outside the Korangi Deputy Commissioner’s office ahead of anticipated protests.
Tensions flared in Rawalpindi as PTI demonstrators clashed with police after being denied entry into the city via the Khanna Pul route. Several party workers were apprehended, only to be released later.
In Tank, PTI supporters marched from Sabir Bazaar to the Town Hall ground, expressing their grievances.
Protests also erupted in Faisalabad, Vehari, Khushab, Islamabad, Multan, Gujranwala, and other cities, indicating the widespread dissatisfaction among PTI supporters over the alleged electoral malpractice.
In a statement, Shehbaz Khosa said his father was arrested by station house officer (SHO) Cantt. “We have no information where the police have taken him [Latif Khosa],” he said.
SCBA condemns arrest of Salman Akram Raja, Latif Khosa
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Sunday strongly condemned the arrests of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and lawyers Sardar Latif Khosa, Salman Akram Raja and others.
According to a statement issued by the SCBA, President Shahzad Shaukat and Secretary Syed Ali Imran “vehemently denounced” the arrests of Sardar Latif Khosa, Salman Akram Raja, Mumtaz Mustafa, and numerous other lawyers while peacefully protesting against the alleged electoral malpractices in the recent general elections.
While demanding immediate release of all arrested lawyers, the President and the Secretary said that as senior Advocates of the Supreme Court and life Members of this Association, the arrests is viewed with grave concern. “All of them have always represented the highest standards in legal profession,” they commended.
Expressing his utter discontentment, the President stated that it is in common knowledge that SCBA have always advocated for upholding the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973.
The SCBA President further lambasted that despite this association, on numerous occasions, have called upon the authorities to respect the legal and democratic rights of citizens, including lawyers.
“The recent trend of targeting and arresting members of the legal fraternity is alarming. It reflects a blatant disregard for constitutional rights, rampant lawlessness, and an abuse of power,” read the statement.
Furthermore, to address the escalating aggression against the legal community, the SCBA has decided to summon emergency meeting of its Executive Committee to chart out a course of action.
“Let no one be mistaken, SCBA reiterates its commitment to defending the rights of lawyers and upholding the fundamental rights, democratic principles, protection of human rights and rule of law,” the statement concluded.
