On Wednesday, Pakistan began to arrest a number of activists ahead of two protests that will call for the government to resign including a march planned for August 14 in Islamabad and organized by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) (Reuters). On Wednesday, Rana Mashhood Ahmad, the law minister for Punjab province, told Reuters that 32 supporters of the activist cleric Tahir ul-Qadri who had called for a separate protest on Sunday had been arrested. Ahmad stated: "We have received intelligence reports that Qadri's activists are collecting weapons and preparing barbed sticks to attack law enforcers." A Qadri spokesperson said 538 activists were arrested but did not provide names for the individuals. Anila Khawaja, a PTI activist, also stated that two PTI activists were arrested on Wednesday.
According to a report Thursday in Dawn, the PTI has told its workers to besiege police stations and roads if police try to arrest them while cautioning them to remain unarmed (Dawn). The PTI's chapter president in Punjab province stated: "The government will see massive protest demonstrations across the province if police tried to stop protesters from using their democratic right."
The government's actions ahead of the protests have also received criticism from opposition parties. On Thursday, Syed Khursheed Shah, the leader of the opposition and a member of the Pakistan' Peoples Party, warned that if certain actions were taken against the march, political leaders' names will be "included in the list of dictators" (Dawn). Shah also stated, ‘Please don't worry about the PTI long march as it is the constitutional right of any political party in the country."
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Pakistan arrests activists ahead of planned protests
On Wednesday, Pakistan began to arrest a number of activists ahead of two protests that will call for the government to resign including a march planned for August 14 in Islamabad and organized by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) (Reuters). On Wednesday, Rana Mashhood Ahmad, the law minister for Punjab province, told Reuters that 32 supporters of the activist cleric Tahir ul-Qadri who had called for a separate protest on Sunday had been arrested. Ahmad stated: "We have received intelligence reports that Qadri's activists are collecting weapons and preparing barbed sticks to attack law enforcers." A Qadri spokesperson said 538 activists were arrested but did not provide names for the individuals. Anila Khawaja, a PTI activist, also stated that two PTI activists were arrested on Wednesday.
According to a report Thursday in Dawn, the PTI has told its workers to besiege police stations and roads if police try to arrest them while cautioning them to remain unarmed (Dawn). The PTI's chapter president in Punjab province stated: "The government will see massive protest demonstrations across the province if police tried to stop protesters from using their democratic right."
The government's actions ahead of the protests have also received criticism from opposition parties. On Thursday, Syed Khursheed Shah, the leader of the opposition and a member of the Pakistan' Peoples Party, warned that if certain actions were taken against the march, political leaders' names will be "included in the list of dictators" (Dawn). Shah also stated, ‘Please don't worry about the PTI long march as it is the constitutional right of any political party in the country."
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