Violence erupts as PTI workers clash with Karachi police amid election rally

KARACHI: With election campaigns of various political parties in full swing ahead of the February 8 polls, workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sunday got involved in a violent scuffle with police in Karachi during an election rally.

Commenting on the incident, senior police officials told Geo News that the former ruling party failed to seek necessary permission for its rally as mandated by the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) code of conduct.

The incident comes after PTI workers, in response to the party founder Imran Khan's call, held rallies across the country with electioneering activities being held in various cities including Lahore, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Quetta, and Rawalpindi.

The clashes occurred as the police resorted to baton charges, aerial firing, and the use of tear gas to disperse the party workers, including women, who had gathered at the busy interchange.

The clashes, which resulted in several arrests, also saw media personnel, including a Geo News cameraman suffering injuries due to the clashes between party workers and the police.

As per Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Asad Raza, at least seven officers, including Boat Basin SHO, suffered injuries after PTI workers attacked the police.

Confirming that the police arrested 25 people during the clashes, Raza said that first information reports (FIRs) would be lodged against those involved in the incident — with provisions of assaulting on-duty police personnel, interfering with government affairs and anti-terror clauses.

As per the initial details, the PTI rally's rally's route was changed last night to Sea View via Teen Talwar, from the previous Shahra-e-Quaideen to Mazar-e-Quaid.

Commenting on the incident, PTI's arch-rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) termed the former as a "terrorist" entity with the party's Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif calling for the authorities to deal with the PTI workers with "iron hands".

Meanwhile, the PTI lamented that it is being subjected to a crackdown with the authorities not even sparing women and children who were part of the said rally.

Separately, as many as 17 PTI workers were also arrested in Peshawar for interfering with government affairs.

Earlier, Mian Azhar, former Punjab governor and father of PTI leader Hammad Azhar, was arrested and taken into custody by police for attempting to take out an election rally in Lahore.

His arrest came after the caretaker provincial government imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) across the province in the wake of security risks ahead of the polls.

The move entails a complete ban on the exhibition of arms and aerial firing in the province.

The measure which, for now, is set to remain in place till February 12, is aimed at ensuring adherence to the ECP's code of conduct, the notification from the provincial home department read.