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PTI retracts CM Gandapur’s arrest claim, but says Rangers present in KP House – Pakistan

PTI leaders and officials from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have retracted claims about Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s arrest, but say that Rangers personnel are still present in Islamabad’s KP House.

They earlier claimed that Rangers personnel “forcefully entered” KP House to arrest CM Gandapur after he arrived in the capital to become a part of his party’s protest.

However, KP government spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Saif subsequently said in a statement on X: “The KP CM has not been formally arrested, a heavy contingent of Rangers and police are present at the KP House. The KP CM is on bail till October 25. If arrested, it will be an insult to the mandate of the people of KP, the fake government will have to answer for such unconstitutional and illegal actions.”

Nawaz Mehmood, PTI KP’s deputy general secretary, also said that Gandapur had not been arrested. However, he said CM Gandapur was detained inside KP House in the capital by law enforcement personnel.

Mehmood told Dawn.com that the party’s protest would continue at D-chowk as planned.


Key developments:

  • PTI claims CM Gandapur arrested by Rangers from KP House
  • Mobile and internet services still suspended in twin cities
  • Indictment of Imran Khan, spouse Bushra Bibi in new Toshakhana case adjourned
  • Interior minister says 120 Afghans arrested in 48 hours, 41 from protest

The PTI, which also plans to hold a protest in Lahore, earlier claimed in a post on X, saying: “Rangers have forcefully entered KP House and launched an aggressive attack in an attempt to arrest CM KP Ali Amin Gandapur.

This blatant abuse of power is deeply shameful, raising serious concerns about the state of lawlessness in Pakistan.

“After failing to stop the public from reaching Islamabad, they have now resorted to arresting a sitting chief minister of a province.

“Those in key institutions are determined to push the country towards anarchy, solely to retain their illegitimate power, without realizing the irreparable damage they are inflicting on Pakistan.”

It remained unclear in what case the Rangers could be seeking Gandapur’s possible arrest as the Peshawar High Court had on Friday granted protective bail to him till Oct 25, directing the law enforcement agencies not to arrest him in cases registered against him in Islamabad and the Punjab. Province.

Separately, a Special Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Javed Iqbal Sheikh had previously extended the PTI leader’s pre-arrest bail until Oct 17.

Meanwhile, the situation in the capital continued to remain tense today, a day after violent clashes between PTI supporters and the police, while the party decided to go ahead with its Lahore protest amid blockades and high security.

Life in the capital and adjacent Rawalpindi remained disturbed for a second consecutive day with mobile network services suspended and major roads and entry points still blocked by containers.

Hundreds of PTI activists, including senior leaders, had gathered at multiple locations in Islamabad on Friday — defying heavy police blockades and road closures — for its planned protest at D-Chowk despite Section 144 in force.

Resultantly, Islamabad Police rounded up over 100 PTI members and supporters as violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement officials were reported throughout the day, with several instances of stone-pelting and tear gas exchanges being witnessed.

According to a Dawn.com Correspondent in Islamabad, the major and link roads between the twin cities and entry points connecting from Motorway M1, M2 and Grand Trunk Road were still blocked by containers on Saturday.

He added that except for PTCL and Nayatel broadband services, all other mobile and internet services were down, causing major issues for the local residents. Schools were also closed in both cities for a second day.

Interestingly, the indictment of Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi in a Toshakhana graft case, which had been earlier deferred until today (October 5), was once again postponed due to the situation in Rawalpindi.

As roads remained blocked in the garrison city, the judges could not reach Adiala Jail to conduct the hearing. Subsequently, the hearings of Imran’s Toshakhana and £190m graft cases were adjourned until October 7 and October 8, respectively.

post on his X account.

“I especially want to commend our people from KP, North Punjab and Islamabad,” he added, saying they “defeated insurmountable obstacles, including shelling, chemicals fired from helicopters, trenches and nails on the highway”.

The post, quoting Imran, called on the people to move towards Minar-i-Pakistan, adding that if they were unable to make it to Lahore, they should join the protest in their cities.

“This is a fight for us Haqeeqi Azadi (true freedom),” he said.

In a post on X at around 3pm, the PTI announced the arrival of its procession from KP in Islamabad, which CM Gandapur was leading.

According to a Dawn.com Correspondent present at the scene, Rangers followed the chief minister inside the KP house.

A heavy contingent of the police and Rangers stormed the house, the PTI said in a post on X.

Authorities had earlier dug trenches and placed iron nails on a stretch of the Islamabad-Peshawar motorway to prevent the caravan from reaching the capital.

In another postthe PTI alleged “Naqvi and PML-N have ordered massive tear gas shelling at D-Chowk”, sharing a purported video of the same.

Mehmood, who was present with protesters at Jinnah Avenue, told Dawn.com that their protest for the release of Imran and his fellow party leaders would continue at D-Chowk.

He urged party workers to avoid damaging public property, claiming that he saw plain-clothed people from security agencies trying to do the same to “repeat May 9” incidents.

“I request the building owners of Blue Area not to allow police deployment at their building rooftops as they are supposed to use teargas against PTI’s peaceful protesters,” he said.

120 Afghan nationals arrested during PTI clashes: Naqvi

Separately, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said earlier today that a total of 120 Afghan nationals were arrested in the past 48 hours, with 41 of them “caught” in yesterday’s clashes between the PTI and the Islamabad police.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad today, Naqvi said: “Forty-one Afghan nationals were caught in yesterday’s clashes and a total of 120 Afghan nationals in the previous 48 hours, which is alarming. […] A country’s own public protesting is a separate thing.”

He further said that the capital police were fired at near Pathargarh, where he said CM Gandapur’s caravan passed through.

“They were firing tear gas. How did they get so much tear gas?” the interior minister wondered, adding that “80 to 85 policemen” were injured as a result and were undergoing treatment.

Naqvi said there was “evidence of chats and groups” where people from “Bannu and tribal areas were being told to bring guns and weapons”.

Stating that he was in contact with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Naqvi asserted that the government would not allow the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). summit in Islamabad to be “sabotaged”.

“Now we have an idea of ​​their motives. The [PTI] The leadership who ordered this is responsible. The KP CM is practically implementing this and is responsible as he is leading the protest,” Naqvi said.

Punjab deploys army, grants permission to use firearms to ‘maintain law and order’

Meanwhile, as the PTI plans to hold a protest at Lahore’s Minar-i-Pakistan, the Punjab government issued orders for army troops to be deployed, allowing it to take certain measures to “maintain law and order”.

The PTI has called its planned protest — to demand a cut in inflation, independence of judiciary and Imran’s release — a “do or die”, despite all entry and exit points of Lahore being heavily barricaded amid a ban on rallies under Section 144.

The Punjab home department issued orders for the “requisition/deployment of troops of Pakistan Army in aid of civil power for maintaining law and order situation” in the province.

Its notification issued on Saturday, seen by Dawn.comset the Rules of Engagement (ROEs) for the army.

It specified that the armed forces, civil armed forces and police would be deployed “around the airbase/airport, routes, venues, accommodation, etc, falling within the territorial jurisdiction” of Punjab to maintain law and order as well as provide security to foreign delegates during the upcoming SCO summit.

Under the ROEs, the armed forces would be “allowed to take such measures as warranted by the situation, including use of firearms”.

“Exact contours of deployment of armed forces will be determined by the military commander on ground in consultation with police commander,” the notification read.

The ROEs enable the local commander to employ certain measures in the event they are “preempted to get any information of any threat or are attacked or threatened by hostile elements”.

In the absence of local police authorities, the rules allow the armed forces to “detain any person who commits or threatens to commit a crime”.

The rules include “show of force, including the use of Riot Control Agents (RCAs)”; “Warning shot may be fired over the heads of hostile elements”; that a “hostile fire should be returned effectively and promptly to stop hostile act”; and “unrestricted use of electronic monitoring as deemed appropriate by local commander”.

“Use of minimum force under the circumstances and proportionate to threat, however, no rule/legal procedure limits one’s right to take appropriate action to defend himself and the infrastructure/entities entrusted to him,” read one of the rules.

Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) 1960; Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (acts of terrorism); and sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant), 427 (mischief causing damage amounting to Rs50), 324 (attempted murder), 341 (wrongful restraint), 148 ( rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offense committed in prosecution of common object) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The FIR said around 200-225 protesters started pelting stones and attacked the police with sticks, due to which four policemen got injured.

It alleged that the screen of a police vehicle was damaged in the violence that ensued, adding that nearby shops were also damaged.


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