New Delhi: Hundreds of supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) today planned to hit the streets in Lahore to kick off the 'Jail Bharo Tehreek' where more than 200 supporters could face court arrest.
PTI chief Imran Khan on February 4 announced a 'Jail Bharo' movement (court arrest drive) to press the PML-N-led government to hold elections in two provinces and stop it from ‘political victimisation,' Dawn reported.
The social media wing of the PTI shared messages throughout the day motivating supporters to become part of the “phase-wise” court arrest drive.
“Fill up prisons and shatter the idols of fear,” said PTI chief Imran Khan in a video message on Twitter.
‘Jail Bharo’ Movement
According to Dawn, PTI central province president Yasmin Rashid presided over a meeting in Lahore to assess the situation in light of today's judicial arrest sweep.
The PTI's senior brass will not give up their freedom on day one.
In the first phase of the movement, certain mid-level leaders, including former Punjab governor Umer Sarfraz Cheema, Senator Waleed Iqbal, former provincial minister Murad Raas, and over 200 workers, would face arrest.
the opening day of the movement would start with a meeting to honour the party members at 12:30pm. After the meeting, the party supporters would march towards The Mall — where Section 144 is imposed — via Jail Road to give themselves up for arrests. In case, the government refused to detain the PTI activists, the rally will morph into a sit-in at Charing Cross in front of the Punjab Assembly, the Dawn reported citing ARY News.
The court arrest drive will launch in Peshawar on February 23. Rawalpindi will follow on Feb 24, Multan on Feb 25, Gujranwala on Feb 26, Sargodha on Feb 27, and Sahiwal on Feb 28. On March 1st, Faisalabad will join the movement.
Why was the court arrest drive announced?
Explaining why the ‘Jail Bharo’ movement was announced, the ousted premier in a televised address from his Zaman Park residence said, "Now we have two ways — one to come on roads and go for wheel-jam but it will hurt Pakistan economically. The other is to allow this imported government to have its desire to put us behind bars fulfilled by the Jail Bharo Tehreek.”
“I ask the people to get ready and wait for my call for ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’. The party workers should wait for my call and when l will give the signal to fill jails. I know the jails in the country do not have the capacity to have us all,” Khan said and added let the government’s desire to have them in jail be fulfilled, according to Dawn.
At the same time, he warned the PMLN-led administration and "their handlers" (a reference to the military establishment) that if they thought they could scare the PTI leadership through harassment and custodial torture, they were mistaken.
“Nations without a vision die…and I am afraid whether we will survive as a nation. If today we do not wake up and wage a struggle against ‘this government of criminals’ we will be responsible for the consequences,” he declared.
‘Miscreants’ to be arrested
On Tuesday, the Punjab government imposed Section 144 on The Mall, Gulberg Main Boulevard as well as outside the Punjab Civil Secretariat and its adjoining roads to prohibit all kinds of assemblies, sit-ins, and processions, the Dawn reported.
On the same day, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s ‘Court Arrest Drive’ was aimed at creating political instability, and law and order situation in the country.
He stated that the miscreants would be arrested and the law and order would be ensured in the country at all costs, but the "arrest of women and poor workers would be avoided.”
The minister further said the record of miscreants would be maintained and their activities would be mentioned in their character certificates issued by the police, Dawn reported citing APP.