Daily Times

As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) “Jail Bharo Tehreek” (court arrest movement) kicked off Wednesday, the party’s senior leaders including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and Azam Swati, along with party workers voluntarily surrendered themselves to the Lahore police, a private TV channel reported

Taking to its Twitter handle, the PTI shared that its party’s Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Secretary General Asad Umar, Swati, Omar Cheema and other leaders and workers are being taken to the Kot Lakhpat jail in the police van.

The prisoner’s van earlier reached the Camp Jail where workers chanted slogans and several landed on the van’s roof.

PTI Lahore President Sheikh Imtiaz released the list of his party’s 47 arrested leaders and workers which include Qureshi, Omar Cheema, Senator Swati, Waleed Iqbal, Dr Murad Raas, Muhammad Madni, Ahsan Dogar, Siddique Khan, and Azam Niazi. However, police officials confirmed that the number of people arrested is around 80, including central leaders of the PTI. “The final number of arrestees will be determined later,” they said.

Police said that the PTI members were arrested under Section 3 (power to arrest and detain suspected persons) of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, adding that the arrested PTI leaders and workers were shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail. The police further said: “A case is being registered against those who attacked the Civil Lines Police vehicle and anti-terrorism provisions will be included in the case.”

In a video shared on Twitter, Qureshi – speaking from inside the police van – said that it was a matter of great pride that he was the first to give himself up for arrest as promised earlier.

“This movement will continue until the imported government puts an end to the lawlessness in the country” and is held accountable for the last 10 months in the people’s court, he said.

Meanwhile, PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said that numerous party leaders and workers, including Qureshi, Umar, Ejaz Chaudhry, had given themselves up for arrest. “Around 500-700 PTI workers have given themselves up for arrest,” he said in a video message. Chaudhry claimed that the police had arrived prepared with police vans but were “worried after seeing the thousands of people and contemplating what they should do”. He thanked PTI workers for their response and said the movement would move forward, adding that today’s protest would be limited to Lahore and would continue till the evening before moving to Peshawar today (Thursday).