As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s “Jail Bharo Tehreek (Court Arrest Movement)” began on Wednesday, senior party leaders have voluntarily surrendered themselves to the police.
The movement aims to counter “attacks on constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights” and “economic corruption” by the current government.
Former Prime Minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Twitter said that PTI is ready to start Jail Bharo campaign for two main reasons.
“One, this is a peaceful, non-violent protest against the attack on our constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights. We are facing shameful FIRs and NAB cases, custodial torture, attacks on journalists and social media people,” P. TI chief wrote.
Khan added that the second is against the economic crisis brought about by “a cabal of miscreants who have money-laundered billions of looted wealth and acquired NROs for themselves and have targeted people, especially the poor and The middle class was crushed under it. The burden of rising inflation and rising unemployment.”
media ppl. Two, it is against the economic meltdown brought on by cabal of crooks who have money laundered billions in looted wealth & gotten NROs for themselves while crushing the ppl, esp the poor & middle class, under the burden of spiralling inflation & rising unemployment.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 22, 2023
Separately, to revive party workers’ enthusiasm for the judicial arrest movement, Khan released a video message, urging them to “fill the jails and smash the idols of fear”.
#جیل_بھرو__زندان_بھرو pic.twitter.com/YgMLzFIlNU
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) February 22, 2023
He called upon all Pakistanis to join the movement for “Haqeeqi Azadi”.
The Tehreek-e-Insaf chief had announced the launch of the movement on February 4 after sedition cases were registered against his party leaders including Fawad Chaudhry, Azam Swati and Shehbaz Gill.
In the first phase of the movement, senior party leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar decided to voluntarily surrender themselves to the authorities on Tuesday.
‘200 workers to voluntarily surrender’
PTI Lahore Chapter President Imtiaz Shaikh had announced that former Punjab Governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Waleed Iqbal, Murad Ras, Muhammad Khan Madani and Fawad Rasool along with 200 workers had voluntarily surrendered themselves to the authorities in the metropolis. will
He said that the movement will start from Charing Cross in Lahore at 2 pm.
Govt to scrutinise arrested workers
The provincial government decided that criminal history, tax and bank records of those arrested under PTI’s judicial arrest campaign would be thoroughly investigated. Sources said that if anyone is found involved in corruption or criminal cases, immediate action will be taken against him.
Informed sources in the Punjab government said that all law enforcement agencies have been mobilized in view of the PTI movement.
According to sources, the jails in the provincial capital are overcrowded. Therefore, the arrested persons will be sent to jails in other cities like Mianwali and DG Khan jails.
In the meeting chaired by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, it has been decided that women and poor workers will not be detained during the Tehreek-e-Insaf movement.
Deputy Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb said that this is the world’s first judicial arrest motion.
Movement aimed at creating ‘political instability’
Earlier, Sanaullah had said that the purpose of PTI’s judicial arrest campaign is to create political instability and law and order situation in the country.
While presiding over the meeting regarding law and order, he had said that Tehreek-e-Insaf wants to get media attention by creating a drama. “The miscreants should be exposed by presenting the evidence of their wrongdoings to the public,” he added.
It was decided in the meeting that the miscreants will be arrested and peace and order will be ensured in the country. Arrest of women and poor workers would be avoided, it was decided.
Sanaullah said that a record of miscreants will be kept and their activities will be mentioned in their character certificate.
