Islamabad [Pakistan], July 26 : Several Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) supporters have been arrested in various parts of Pakistan as the police began a crackdown against the party amid a sit-in at D-Chowk in Islamabad, Pakistan-based ARY News reported.
Several JI workers who were heading to D-Chowk in Islamabad to hold a sit-in were held and shifted to an unknown place in prisoner vans. The administration and police shut all the routes leading to D-Chowk as the JI announced to hold a sit-in there against inflation and high electricity bills.
The JI announced a protest against the rise in power tariffs, increased electricity bills and other issues faced by the people. Islamabad police said that 13 JI workers were arrested from Express Chowk, according to ARY News report.
The police used heavy barriers to close the Faizabad interchange connecting Rawalpindi to Islamabad. In addition to the placement of containers at Islamabad's access points, significant roads and intersections only allow one lane of traffic. People are facing severe inconvenience with traffic jams and long queues of vehicles.
JI spokesperson Qaiser Sharif said that 500 party workers who were travelling to Islamabad have been arrested and called it the 'worst example of police terrorism'.
In a statement, he said that the police carried out raids at the homes of office-bearers and workers, 'desecrating' the ones' privacy by making videos of their homes, ARY News reported.
In his video message, JI Ameer, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, asked his workers to hold a sit-in wherever they were stopped by the administration. He stated that caravans have left to hold the sit-in at D-Chowk with 'great enthusiasm'.
The JI chief said, "We are peaceful people and want to remain peaceful. Wherever there is an obstacle, the workers should hold a sit-in. We will turn one sit-in into many sit-ins."
The Punjab Home Department has imposed Section 144 across the province and Islamabad and placed a ban on public gatherings and rallies for three days, according to ARY News report.
In a notification issued on Wednesday, the authorities said that Section 144 will be in effect from July 26 to July 28. The ban has been imposed to maintain law and order and to prevent any potential terrorist threats.
According to the notification, the administration will ensure the implementation of the order across Punjab and Islamabad. A gathering of five or more people is banned under Section 144 and any violation of the order can lead to legal action.
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