The Islamabad Police has made multiple arrests over the protest that turned violent outside the Sindh House on Friday with two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNAs, Attaullah Niazi, and Faheem Khan, and 12 workers among the ones taken into custody, Aaj News reported. Earlier, a large number of Insaf Student Federation (ISF) members along with other loyalists had gathered to protest against the dissident PTI MNAs for seeking refuge in the Sindh House and going against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The protest started off peacefully but took a violent turn as demonstrators broke the gate open and stormed inside the Sindh House.
In order to control the situation, the police personnel brought from Sindh for the security of estranged MNAs swung into action and expelled PTI workers from the premises of the building. Later, MNAs and MPAs from Islamabad, Rawalpindi also joined the protesters and demanded resignation from the defected PTI members.
‘Sindh House’ puts PTI govt in an ugly quandary
“If you want to go against Prime Minister Imran Khan, resign from your seat that you won on the electoral symbol of the bat,” PTI MNA Attaullah Niazi said while talking to reporters. He said that the PTI workers will not let ‘lotacracy’ derail the democratic government. Soon after, the Islamabad Police arrested violent PTI workers, including the two MNAs, and shifted them to Secretariat Police Station.
‘Situation under control’
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that he had ordered the arrest of those who were involved in the ‘unfortunate incident’ outside the Sindh House. Condemning the turn of events, the minister said that the situation was now “under control,” adding that he had directed the IG Islamabad Police to arrest all people involved in the violent protest, including the two MNAs.
“No one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands,” he added.
