LAHORE: In a sweeping crackdown against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers, Lahore police arrested more than 90 individuals on Monday, registering cases under various charges, including involvement in police encounters.
The arrests, part of a broader operation launched on November 24, were made in multiple areas across the city, including Harbanspura, Mazang, Islampura, Lorry Adda, Qala Gujjar Singh, Shafiqabad, Johar Town, Green Town, Manawan, and Defence C police jurisdictions.
Notable arrests included PTI Punjab Information Secretary Hafiz Zeeshan and former MPA Nadeem Abbas, detained on Lytton Road.
According to the FIR, some PTI workers allegedly pelted stones at a police party near Lorry Adda and damaged officers’ uniforms during the confrontation.
DIG Operations led a focused effort in Batti Chowk, where 20 individuals, including 12 women, were detained for violating Section 144. Separately, six workers were apprehended when police intercepted a PTI convoy in Shahdara. Other prominent figures arrested include Zameer Ahmed Jhedu, detained near the high court, and several local leaders identified through mobile and CCTV footage.
The detainees were transported to a prisoner van and taken to various detention facilities. Police confirmed that raids are ongoing to apprehend additional suspects.
The arrests in Lahore come as part of a broader operation launched on November 24 by law enforcement agencies across Pakistan. The crackdown follows protests called by PTI, leading to dozens of arrests, including parliamentarians and MPAs.
In Lahore, PTI Punjab Information Secretary Hafiz Zeeshan and former MPA Nadeem Abbas were arrested from Lytton Road. Twenty more PTI workers, including 12 women, were detained at Batti Chowk during a crackdown led by the DIG Operations.
Outside Lahore, the crackdown extended to other districts. MPA Basharat Dogar and 500 workers were arrested in Sargodha on charges of stone-pelting and violating Section 144. In Pakpattan, local leaders Umar Hashim, Talha Saeed, Tariq Shah, and Mehr Moin were among over 90 arrested.
Hundreds of arrests were also reported from Jhelum, Multan, Rawalpindi, and other districts, with law enforcement confirming that over 1,600 PTI workers from southern Punjab alone were detained for alleged breaches of peace.
The crackdown follows a call for protests by PTI leadership, prompting coordinated operations by police and law enforcement across Pakistan.
