Sahiwal Police Detain PTI Leaders Ahead of Protests

News Desk
SAHIWAL: Police in Sahiwal have intensified a crackdown against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), arresting several senior party figures, including a former mayor, and sealing multiple commercial properties ahead of planned demonstrations called by the party’s founding chairman for September 27.
Farid Town police confirmed the late Saturday arrests of former municipal corporation mayor and ex-ticket holder Asad Khan Baloch alongside City President Muhammad Shahid Chohan, marking a significant escalation in local political tensions.
According to district administration officials, Shahid Chohan was subsequently transferred to the Sahiwal Central Prison, while Asad Khan Baloch remained in police custody. Authorities also moved against the economic infrastructure of the local leadership, sealing two petrol pumps and a gymnasium owned by the detained figures on Old GT Road. Security forces attempted to apprehend another party activist, Naveed Aslam, who managed to evade capture.
Intelligence and police sources indicate that these actions form part of a broader sweep that has already seen at least 47 PTI workers, office-bearers, and activists detained across Sahiwal and Chichawatni tehsils under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
This aggressive administrative approach underscores the mounting friction between the provincial government and the opposition party as political forces brace for nationwide confrontations.
Legal experts note that the routine invocation of preventive detention laws like the MPO highlights the shrinking space for political dissent, raising serious questions regarding fundamental constitutional rights and freedom of assembly in the province.
Local businesses and civil society members have expressed growing concern over the collateral economic impact of sealing commercial establishments belonging to political figures.
As authorities maintain a high-security posture across the district, further arrests and preventive sweeps are anticipated in the lead-up to the September 27 mobilization deadline.
Legal counsels for the detained PTI members are reportedly preparing habeas corpus petitions and bail applications in local courts to challenge the 30-day detention orders issued by the Deputy Commissioner, setting the stage for protracted legal battles in the coming days.