Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has reached Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, avoiding his arrest during a crackdown against the opposition parliamentarians of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Islamabad on Monday night.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, though CM Gandapur has succeeded in escaping from the capital city, a case has been registered against him at the Sangjani police station in Islamabad for making anti-state speeches and violating public meeting protocols.
The charges include keeping a district administration officer in custody, adding a legal dimension to the ongoing tensions between the government and PTI leaders.
The crackdown on PTI leaders continued with the arrest of prominent figures, including Barrister Gohar and Sher Afzal Marwat, both detained outside the Parliament House under the new Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024.
Heavy police contingents were deployed in the Red Zone, sealing major entry and exit points, as authorities rounded up PTI leaders for allegedly clashing with police and violating the newly enacted public gathering law during a recent power show in Islamabad.
Gandapur, in a fiery speech the previous day, issued an ultimatum to the coalition government, demanding the release of PTI founder Imran Khan within two weeks and threatening to escalate the anti-government movement into Punjab if the demands were not met.