Once Section 144 was implemented in the provincial capital of Lahore, senior PTI members, including party chairman Imran Khan, were booked for “attacking police” and “using filthy language” against national security agencies.
A mob of at least 300–400 people engaged in violence in the city and abused government institutions, according to the first information report (FIR) submitted on behalf of the deputy superintendent of police Raiwand.
According to the FIR, vandalism by PTI members injured six activists in addition to 13 police officers. The report continued, “They were transferred to Services hospital where injured Ali Bilal succumbed to his injuries.”
Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of PTI, posted on Twitter, “I’ve been in Islamabad for the past two days to ask the court for Mr Khan’s security, but the Punjab Police have filed a case against me for destruction in Lahore. It illustrates the authority of the imposed regime in Punjab.”
The party had originally intended for a rally from Zaman Park to Data Darbar to serve as the official launch of their election campaign. Later on, it postponed the campaign until Saturday and devoted the rally to the judiciary.
The Punjab government implemented Section 144 in Lahore before the start of the march, prohibiting rallies, processions, and meetings in the provincial capital for seven days with immediate effect. The PTI later cancelled their pro-judiciary demonstration.
Police began detaining PTI employees and closing roads leading to Zaman Park as soon as Section 144 was put into effect to prevent the rally. When police officers used tear gas shelling, water cannons, and baton charges to scatter the rally attendees, things took a bad turn. One person died as a result of it, and Mr Khan claimed that the police had murdered him.
A new dark chapter of tyranny, persecution, and the darkest fascism has been added to the history of those perpetrating the crime of protecting democracy through legislation, according to the PTI, which referred to the day as “a black day.”
