Hundreds of political parties’ activists held in crackdown

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Police have on Monday again crackdown against workers of political parties and arrested hundreds of workers of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Awami Muslim League (AML) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT). Police have again launched crackdown and conducting raids at the houses of PTI leaders and workers and detained hundreds of party leaders and activists. Authorities detained dozens of PTI workers including girls. Police scuffled with Imran’s assistants before whisking them away and bundling them. As the deployment of law enforcers build up before the home of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the entire place is under surveillance of law enforcement agencies. “Nobody is permitted in or outside.” Dozens of PTI workers were detained during a crackdown in Faisalabad and also raided the residence of MPA Khurram Shahzad. Police also raided the residence of PTI’s deputy secretary general Farrukh Habib and arrested his brother and cousin. In Multan, police raided MNA Amir Dogar’s house, while he managed to flee. Meanwhile, local leaders Sajid Nawaz, Ghulam Rasool and Malik Khalid were also arrested. Pakistani opposition leader dismissed accusations his planned shutdown of the federal capital could lead to a military coup, saying Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif "can't hide behind 'democracy in danger'" to quash protests. Khan vowed to bring a million people into Islamabad on Wednesday to paralyze the government and force Sharif either to resign or allow an inquiry into the "Panama Papers" revelations about his family's offshore wealth. The PTI chairman said that police have him under virtual house arrest after the city banned public gatherings ahead of Wednesday's planned protest and arrested scores of PTI workers. He dismissed claims he wants the army to topple Sharif, as it did when Sharif was in power in the 1990s, and said the protests aim to hold the prime minister to account for alleged corruption. "How can a democrat want the military to come in?," Khan said. "He has to answer. He can't hide behind 'democracy in danger'."