Over 100 PTI workers arrested in Islamabad

The police on Thursday arrested around 100 workers of Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as they gathered in Sector E-11 area to attend a youth convention ahead of the party's planned "lockdown" of the national capital on November 2.

The convention was being held hours after Imran Khan said that he would go ahead with his plan of closing down the capital come what may and even said that he would challenge the orders passed by the Islamabad High Court, reports the News International.

The Frontier Corps troops were also called in as situation seemed to deteriorate during police action against the PTI workers.

PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi accused the police of manhandling female workers and vowed to continue the peaceful struggle and called upon Justice Shaukat Siddiqui to take notice of what he said violation of a court order by Islamabad administration.

Reacting to this, ruling PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry said the gathering was in violation of Section-144, adding that the PTI leaders didn't bother to seek permission for the convention.

Meanwhile, Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari strongly condemned police baton-charge on the PTI workers in Islamabad.

Earlier today, Section- 144 has also been imposed in capital Islamabad for two months by the capital administration, after the Islamabad High Court ordered the administration not to allow a shutdown of the city on November 2 during the PTI's proposed lockdown.

The government authorities have been directed by the court to follow all legally available courses to stop the protest in any part of the capital other than the designated "Democracy Park and Speech Corner".

Imran Khan has been demanding the government to order an inquiry into the Panama Papers leak disclosing offshore business interests of Pakistanis including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's children.