PTI activists arrested in Faisalabad disguised as wedding convoy

FAISALABAD: At least 27 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf activists were arrested in Faisalabad on Sunday in the guise of a wedding procession, with police claiming they have stepped up a crackdown on protesters.

Various PTI convoys have left from different parts of the country to participate in the protest in Islamabad against the detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the restoration of democracy.

Many have described the counter-offensive as a “cat and mouse game” between the two sides, with activists using various tactics to evade arrest and deceive law enforcers.

In one area, PTI convoys were hidden in dense trees in Attock, while in another area, some participants of a wedding procession to Islamabad were caught by police.

Police claimed that they had decorated their vehicles with flowers and a man dressed as a groom was seen standing in front of the convoy.

Suspecting illegal activities, they stopped the vehicles for questioning and later arrested the activists.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked his supporters to march on Islamabad on November 24 for democracy and the judiciary. But Defence Minister Khawaja Asif believes the protest amounts to a “revolt” as the former ruling party allegedly wants to capture the federal capital.

The PTI founder has made four demands to end the protests, while his wife has said that history will only change when Khan is out of jail.

Khan’s PTI suffered a major setback on Thursday when the Islamabad High Court ruled that no protests or rallies that violate the recent law on public gatherings will be allowed over the weekend due to the visit of the Belarusian president.

The federal government has called in additional security forces to help the capital’s administration maintain law and order during the protests.