Pakistani police have arrested at least 285 supporters and associates of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in raids in the capital Islamabad and the second largest city Lahore. The PTI claims that the police have resorted to unreasonable torture on its workers.
Police said on Monday they were conducting raids to arrest workers of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party who clashed with police in Lahore recently. The PTI said the police had launched a crackdown on its workers.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry has alleged that the police conducted raids on the houses of all the important leaders of the party in the dead of night. However, the police say that seven cases have been registered against the party leaders and workers on various charges, including terrorism, so the raids are ongoing.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said, "Around 285 of our workers and supporters have been arrested from Islamabad and Lahore. On Sunday (March 19) night, the police conducted a massive raid on the houses of important PTI leaders."
Lahore Police Chief Bilal Kamiana said that seven cases have been filed against the party's leaders and workers on various charges, including terrorism. Due to this, raids are being conducted at the homes of PTI leaders, workers and supporters. A total of 125 people have been arrested from Lahore.
Meanwhile, an Islamabad police spokesman said that 198 PTI workers have been arrested so far for their involvement in arson and attacks on police. The spokesman said that more raids are being conducted.
Last week, police went to Imran Khan's Lahore residence to arrest him on a court-issued arrest warrant. But PTI workers who had surrounded the party leader's house blocked the police and at one point got into a scuffle.
Later on Saturday, when Imran Khan appeared in court in Islamabad, clashes broke out between his supporters and police. In Saturday's clashes, 58 people were injured and more than a dozen vehicles, including several police vehicles, were burned.
