More than five hundred activists of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Awami Muslim League were arrested by the police outside the Lal Haveli.
The Police claimed that the arrests are being made for violation of the Section 144 which has been imposed in the twin cities. A large contingent of Police reached the iconic building and launched the crackdown.
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed who resides at the Lal Haveli assured protesting workers that he will address a rally tomorrow at any cost. ‘The Gullu Butts of the Police are outside the Lal Haveli,” he said. Police have also sealed all roads leading to it.
The Police also confiscated a truck which had a makeshift stage and loudspeaker for the scheduled rally of Sheikh Rashid on Friday. Rashid was unfazed and said that he will address them even irrespective even if he had to use a hand-held microphone.
The crackdown has led to protests in various parts of the country including Peshawar, Lahore, Multan and Gujrat. PTI activists burnt tyres outside the Liberty roundabout in Lahore. Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, the leader of opposition in the Punjab Assembly, has been arrested in Lahore.
Maulana Sami-ul-Haq of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council has also decried the crackdown and said that the government has turned the country into a police state. He said that they are also been pressurised to call off their scheduled rally tomorrow.
