Hafiz Farhat Abbas and other PTI leaders and workers, who had been arrested in Lahore on Sunday while they were protesting against rigging in the general elections held on February 8 on the call given by PTI founder Imran Khan, were produced in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday. Earlier, the police registered FIRs against 38 PTI leaders and workers, including women, who had been taken into custody on The Mall on Sunday.  Sections related to terrorism, interference in government duty, and kidnappings were inserted in the cases registered against Hafiz Farhat Abbas, Fauzia, Hadeera, Hameeda and others. According to the text of one of the FIRs, Hafiz Abbas not only caused damage to public property but also incited others to do the same. Abbas was also accused of resorting to indiscriminate firing along with four to five other unidentified accomplices. It was stated in the FIR that the police finally overpowered the PTI leader and recovered a pistol from his possession.

It was alleged that the PTI workers also damaged a government vehicle and that sticks and rods were recovered from 42 of them. Police on Sunday came down hard on the PTI protestors and took several of them into custody, including MNA Sardar Latif Khosa, Barrister Salman Akram Raja and Hafiz Farhat Abbas. A large number of PTI leaders and activists organized protest demonstration across the country. PTI leaders and workers took to streets across the country with rallies being held in various cities of Punjab, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad, along with protests in Karachi, Hyderabad, Kandhkot, Tank and other cities. The arrest of senior party leader Sardar Latif Khosa was confirmed by his son Shahbaz Khosa. Khosa was arrested from Sadar Cantonment roundabout while Salman Akram Raja was detained near Ichhra. Member Punjab Assembly Haroon Akbar was also detained from Ichhra. Dr. Hasan Mahmood, son of PTI leader Mian Mahmood-ul-Rashid, was also detained. Mian Mehmood-ul-Rashid's son was detained from a rally in Shadman. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)