Contrary to the high expectations of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership, only 70 party workers and supporters were arrested in Gujranwala on Sunday.
According to Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s reasoning, the movement aims to counter “attacks on constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights” and “economic mismanagement by the present government”.
پورا گجرانوالہ گرفتاری دینے پہنچ گیا #جیل_بھرو_خوف_کے_بت_توڑو pic.twitter.com/B5c0RKWYrh
— PTI (@PTIofficial) February 26, 2023
The PTI’s ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ (Court Arrest Movement) seemed to be losing steam as no party leader or activist volunteered to turn himself in to the police as the Peshawar phase of the ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’. Not handed over. Party bastion — on February 23.
گوجرانوالہ جیل بھرو تحریک #جیل_بھرو_خوف_کے_بت_توڑو pic.twitter.com/i3IxFOOplO
— PTI (@PTIofficial) February 26, 2023
However, PTI leader Yasmin Rashid claimed that six prison vans with PTI workers have left for the jail so far.
He said that the police is facing shortage of jail vans to transport PTI workers to jail. He added that the local police stopped the party’s women workers from boarding the jail van.
The PTI leader paid tribute to the people for taking to the streets on the call of former Prime Minister Imran Khan who had announced the ‘Jail Bharo’ campaign on February 4 and was launched from Lahore on February 22. .
Rashid said that among others Chaudhry Ilyas Gujjar, his nephew and Qamar Abbas Tarar have also been arrested.
Sharing a photo of handcuffed former MPA Zafarullah Cheema and Nazr Muhammad Gondal on Twitter, PTI leaders said they were the first to voluntarily surrender themselves to the police in the city.
گوجرانولہ جیل بھرو تحریک میں کپتان کی کال پر نا صرف جوان بلکے بزرگ بھی سرفہرست۔ سابق ایم پی اے ظفر اللہ چیمہ اور نظر محمد گوندل نے سب سے پہلے گرفتاری پیش کی۔#جیل_بھرو_خوف_کے_بت_توڑو pic.twitter.com/9jzumZWiL2
— PTI (@PTIofficial) February 26, 2023
‘PTI workers refuse to give bail pleas’
It may be mentioned here that multiple applications have been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) for bail of PTI leaders who voluntarily surrendered themselves to the police but senior party leader Fawad Chaudhry on Twitter. wrote: “More than two hundred workers from Lahore and Rawalpindi are currently in various jails and have refused to submit their bail applications.
پی ٹی آئی رہنما اور کارکن آج گوجرانوالہ میں گرفتاریاں پیش کریں گے, پشاور اور ملتان میں پولیس نے تحریک انصاف کے کارکنان کو گرفتار کرنے سے انکار کر دیا لاہور اور راولپنڈی کے دو سو سے زیادہ کارکنان اس وقت مختلف جیلوں میں ہیں ان لوگوں نے ضمانت کی درخواستوں سے انکار کیا ہے، #جیل_بھرو
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) February 26, 2023
Senior party leaders, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and Azam Swati, along with other party workers, voluntarily surrendered to the Lahore police on the first day of the campaign – and later, some others followed suit. of The movement later reached Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Multan.
‘Government is treating PTI workers like terrorists’
A day earlier, PTI Chairman Imran Khan accused the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government of treating party workers and leaders detained as terrorists during the “Jail Bharo Tehreek”. For the “fascist attitude” was strongly condemned.
In his tweet, Khan claimed that his party’s leadership and workers are protesting against fascism, violation of fundamental rights and crushing of the nation.
Strongly condemn the fascist approach of Imported govt to treat our political prisoners detained during our Jail Bharo (court arrest) movement as criminals & terrorists. Our ldrship & workers are protesting against this fascism, violation of fundamental rights, & crushing nation
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 25, 2023
‘The courtroom erupted with laughter’
Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhary of Lahore High Court heard the petition of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday and asked the petitioner’s lawyer why the party members were arrested.
On this, the lawyer said that the party has started the ‘Jail Bharo’ movement. Justice Chaudhry said that why are they playing with the courts? To this, the lawyer said: “We are not asking for bail, these are symbolic arrests and we are here to protect the rights of the leaders.”
The courtroom erupted with laughter at the lawyer’s reply.
After that, the court remarked that you were asking to arrest yourself, now that you have been arrested, is it an emergency?
Zain Qureshi also appeared in the court. “I was not arrested but my father was and I am not allowed to meet him,” Qureshi’s son said.
To which Justice Chaudhry replied that ‘Go to a place where Section 144 is applied, you will be arrested and you will be able to meet them. His comment once again caused laughter in the room.
