Lahore: Senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including its chairman Imran Khan, have been booked for “attacking” the police and “using foul language” against national security institutions in Lahore, media reports said.
According to the FIR, filed on behalf of the Deputy Superintendent of Police from Raiwind, a mob of at least 300-400 committed violence in the city and used foul language against the state institutions, Geo News reported.
The FIR said that the PTI workers abused the institutions on the directions of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and senior PTI leaders Hassan Niazi, Hammad Azhar, Memoodul Rasheed, Farrukh Habib, Fawad Chaudhry and Ejaz Chaudhry.
It stated that the violent mob pelted stones and attacked the police with wooden sticks in which 13 police personnel suffered injuries, while six PTI workers were also hurt due to the violence triggered by their own party workers, Geo News reported.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry berated the interim Chief Minister Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, after the case was filed against him in Lahore.
Chaudhry said he is in Islamabad for the last two days where he was busy preparing a petition which will be heard on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Punjab police lobbed tear gas shells and baton-charged the supporters of Khan in clashes which injured several on both sides.
The clashes erupted in Lahore ahead of Khan’s planned rally to kick-start his election campaign, but which the government then banned by imposing Section 144 for seven days.
The former premier has been demanding snap polls since he was ousted through a vote of confidence last year. His successor Shehbaz Sharif has rejected the demand and stated elections would be held as scheduled later this year, Geo News reported.
–IANS