Jamaat-e-Islami has accused authorities of cracking down on its members in various cities ahead of the planned sit-in in Islamabad.
The party, which is due to hold a three-day protest against rising inflation from July 26, says police have targeted its leaders and activists in an attempt to disrupt the demonstration.
According to Jamaat-e-Islami, there have been numerous incidents of police raids, arrests and ill-treatment of women.
General Secretary Ameer-ul-Azeem announced that raids were conducted on the houses of key party figures, including Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore Amir Ziauddin Ansari.
Narowal and Hassan Abdal
The party claims that former Deputy District Collector Anwar Haq Butt from Narowal, Tehsil Amir Altaf Hussain from Hasan Abdal and other officials have been detained. In Bahawalpur, ten Khairpur Tamiwali workers were reportedly arrested and similar actions were reported in Sahiwal where the houses of local leaders were raided.
Gujranwala
In Gujranwala, police surrounded the residence of Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Furqan Aziz Butt, even though he was not present. In Wahari, seven participants preparing for the sit-in were arrested, causing many workers to go into hiding.
Sambarial
Sambarial saw the arrest of District Representative Amir Muhammad Owais Ghaman and Mian Imran Akhtar who had just returned from Umrah. Sargodha’s Jamaat-e-Islami reported that their headquarters were raided and they were arrested.
Dunyapur
Dunyapur’s Jamaat-e-Islami convoy, led by Shakeel Ahmed, is set to attend the meeting despite the arrest of their Tehsil Ameer Hafiz Khurshid Ahmad.
Bahawalpur
In Bahawalpur, the party claimed that ten workers from Khairpur Tamiwali were arrested. Reports from Sahiwal suggest that the homes of local leaders were also targeted.
Gujranwala
In Gujranwala, police raided the house of JI candidate Furqan Aziz Butt in PP 64. Despite heavy police presence, Butt was not found at his residence.
Vehari
Vehari saw the arrest of seven people who were heading to Islamabad, with many workers reportedly in hiding due to the increased risk of further arrests.
Sargodha
In Sargodha, police raided Jamaat-e-Islami headquarters, arrested one worker and continued operations in tehsil offices.
Video message of Ameer-ul-Azeem
In a video message, Ameer-ul-Azeem condemned the actions of the police and criticized the government for its “unconstitutional and undemocratic” behavior.
He confirmed that the Jamaat-e-Islami meeting would go ahead as planned, with Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman leading the protest. He described the imposition of Section 144 as a manifestation of the government’s negligence.
Safety plan
With Islamabad braced for a fresh wave of protests and sit-ins as Jamaat-e-Islami and Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced plans to hold demonstrations after Friday prayers, the Islamabad administration and the federal police have devised a comprehensive security plan to handle the situation.
The plan includes sealing three major intersections in the red zone D Chowk, Nadra Chowk and Sarina Chowk to prevent encroachment.
In preparation for the demonstrations, the Islamabad administration and the federal police have put in place a strong security plan. Key intersections in the red zone, including D Chowk, Nadra Chowk and Sarina Chowk, will be sealed to handle crowds and ensure public safety.
