PTI's Aliya Hamza, others sent to jail on judicial remand

• Aliya Hamza sent to Adiala jail following court order.
• PTI leader’s bail petition to be heard on April 22.
• Police say former ruling party held event sans permission.

RAWALPINDI: A district court on Saturday sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Aliya Hamza and four party workers on judicial remand who were arrested for holding a youth convention without taking permission from authorities.

A tense situation erupted in Rawalpindi around midnight after police arrested PTI Chief Organiser for Punjab Aliya and several workers and shifted them to multiple police stations in the city.

The arrested PTI leader and workers were produced before a district court in Rawalpindi today.

During the hearing, the court ordered the judicial remand of Hamza, Adil Munir, and Noman Aslam, while the two accused, Shamim Aftab and driver Muhammad Zahid, were granted bail.

Shamim and Zahid have been directed to submit surety bonds worth Rs25,000.

Moreover, the court also fixed the hearing of Aliya's bail plea on April 22 and sought a report from the investigation officer on May 3.

Following the court order issued by Civil Judge Mumtaz Hanjra, Aliya was shifted to the Adiala jail.

With police sources citing a PTI convention sans necessary permission from authorities as the rationale behind the arrests, Hamza, along with eight other workers, was shifted to the Civil Lines Police Station.

The PTI workers' arrest led to a tense situation after a large number of PTI supporters gathered outside the Civil Lines Police Station to protest against the police action.

A case has been registered against Hamza and other PTI workers at the Airport Police Station with provisions relating to incitement, resisting the police, blocking the road, and interfering with official duties.

The case, while alleging that the suspects were protesting in Dhok Kamal Din by blocking the road and resorting to stone pelting against the police as well, says that Hamza, Zahid, Noman, Adil, and Shamim have been arrested by the police.

The development marks the latest incident in the over-a-year-long PTI tug-of-war with the authorities regarding the former ruling party's bid to hold public gatherings, with the government launching a crackdown against them, citing, inter alia, security and permission-related reasons.

The Imran Khan-founded party has time and again blamed police and government action against them for depriving the party of political space.

On Thursday, Khan's sisters — Aleema Khan, Noreen Khanum, and Uzma Khanum — along with National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and Punjab Opposition Leader Ahmed Khan Bhachar were detained by the police at a checkpost near the Adiala jail.

The arrests came after the PTI leaders engaged in a verbal altercation with police for not being allowed to meet the PTI founder, incarcerated in the Adiala jail.

The altercation occurred over a week after PTI workers clashed with law enforcers near Rawalpindi's Adiala jail, with police detaining multiple workers and leaders.