Chant slogans against dissident lawmakers
Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
During high political temperature in the country after opposition submitted no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, dozens of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers on Friday stormed the Sindh House in Islamabad shortly after they arrived there and staged a sit-in outside the mansion where dissident PTI MNAs are being hosted by the Pakistan People’s Party.
Television footage showed PTI workers climbing over the walls of Sindh House with some of them later breaking down the doors to enter the building. They also carried lotas in protest against “turncoats”. The activists from the ruling party arrived at the Sindh House in Islamabad’s F-5 sector Friday afternoon and chanted slogans against the dissident MNAs, accusing them of “selling their consciences.” They then staged a sit-in right outside the main gate to the sprawling mansion.
The PTI workers crushed the plastic made lotas under their feet. They were seen quarrelling with Islamabad police personnel who asked them to leave the entrance to the Sindh House. The PTI workers refused to leave the place and after a short while they stormed the Sindh House. The activists from PTI’s Youth Wing destroyed the gate of the Sindh House and broke into the building. They were seen first ramming the gate and then rampaging inside the mansion. Personnel of the Sindh Police were finally able to evict them from the mansion, but Faheem Khan, one of the two MNAs from Karachi who were leading the activists, said that this was only a “trailer” and the complete “film” would be played later.
He said the dissidents had been elected on PTI’s electoral symbol and they should first step down as MNAs before opposing Imran Khan. Faheem Khan said in the future the dissidents would be dragged out on the streets.
When police tried to arrest the rampaging workers, PTI MNAs Faheem Khan and Attaullah Khan resisted the arrests and after failing in their effort joined the workers in the police van of Islamabad. About ten workers were detained.
Faheem Khan and Attaullah claimed that they had come to the Sindh House to stay there and when they were denied the entry, PTI workers were incensed.
Meanwhile, federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry shared that PTI secretary general Asad Umar has asked party workers to clear Sindh House and be “patient and tolerant”.
“If Sindh House is turned into a new Changa Manga, you will have to face the public’s hatred. As soon as information about the incident was received, secretary general Asad Umar told workers to be patient and tolerant, stop playing with the public’s emotions and respect their mandate,” he tweeted.
The law and order situation was brought under control after the timely action of Islamabad police who have cleared the Sindh House premises from the protestors.
