Over 100 PTI Workers Arrested for Attacks on Military Installations, Raising Concerns about Democracy and Fair Elections in Pakistan

In a significant development, over 100 more workers of Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by jailed Prime Minister Imran Khan, have been arrested in connection with attacks on military installations in May. The arrests were made in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, highlighting the government's crackdown on those involved in the violent protests that erupted following Khan's arrest. The Lahore police announced the arrest of 105 PTI workers involved in the attacks on Lahore Corps Commander House and Askari Tower, owned by the son of former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

The arrests were carried out on Saturday in different parts of the city. This comes as part of a larger operation targeting approximately 1,000 PTI workers who managed to evade arrest following the May 9 attacks. On that fateful day, impassioned PTI supporters took to the streets in protest after the arrest of their leader by paramilitary Rangers from the premises of the Islamabad High Court. The protests escalated into acts of vandalism, with various military installations, including the Jinnah House, Mianwali airbase, and ISI building in Faisalabad, being targeted.

The Army headquarters in Rawalpindi was also attacked by the mob for the first time. Prior to this recent arrest, 62 PTI workers were apprehended in Lahore. The police action against PTI leaders and workers has intensified across the country following the announcement of general elections in Pakistan on February 8, 2024. The PTI has claimed that more than 10,000 party members have been imprisoned since early May in connection with the attacks on military and state installations. The party's core committee has strongly condemned what it perceives as the state's coercive tactics and reprisal actions against PTI members, even after the announcement of the election date.

Accusing the state of employing "illegal fascist measures" against peaceful political activities, the party warned that the nation would not accept rigged elections conducted in an uneven electoral field with state interference. The core committee of PTI also highlighted the international visibility of these actions, stating that reprehensible attempts to force their party out of the electoral arena and deprive them of a level playing field have become more prominent before the world.

As for Imran Khan himself, he remains in detention at Adiala Jail Rawalpindi in connection with the cipher case. The arrest and ongoing crackdown on PTI workers has raised concerns about the democratic process and fair elections in Pakistan. With general elections on the horizon, the government's actions are being closely scrutinized both domestically and internationally.