Lahore [Pakistan], March 25 : Scores of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and leaders have been arrested as the Punjab police's crackdown continues against the party's supporters ahead of tonight's public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan, reported The Nation.
Punjab police conducted a raid at PTI senior leader a candidate from PP-158 Mehtab Hussain's residence in Lahore but he was not present at home.
In Multan, the police arrested the son of former MPA Javed Akhtar Ansari in a raid and arrested PTI workers across the district, reported The Nation.
The police have arrested over 50 PTI workers from different areas of Rahim Yar Khan, while 26 workers were arrested in Multan.
The residence of Arslan Butt - a former staff officer of Shahbaz Gill - was also raided by the police in Burewala but he was not present at his home, reported The Nation.
Moreover, police teams also arrested several PTI workers during raids in other cities including Mian Channu, Lodhran, Vehari and Faisalabad.
The PTI claimed that many workers have also been detained from Lodhran and Bhakkar, Vehari and Faisalabad.
Earlier today, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan called on his supporters to "assert their right as people of a free nation" by attending the rally.
"Tonight will be our 6th jalsa at Minar-e-Pakistan & my heart tells me it will break all records. I am inviting everyone in Lahore to attend after Tarawih prayers. I will give my vision of Haqeeqi Azadi & how we will pull Pak out of the mess cabal of crooks have put our country in," tweeted Khan.
The PTI on Saturday geared up to hold its jalsa at Lahore's monumental Minar-e-Pakistan at around 9 pm amid a "threat alert" issued by the interim Punjab government, reported Geo News.
In the alert, the government has said that terrorists, carrying explosive material, have reached Lahore and will either target political rallies or law enforcers deployed for the security of those events.
"They will put all sorts of hurdles to prevent people from attending, but I want to remind our ppl that it is their fundamental right to attend a political gathering. Everyone must assert their right as people of a free nation that won its independence & come to Minar-e-Pakistan," added Imran Khan.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor