Over 500 workers and leaders of Imran Khan's party arrested in Punjab province

Another 280 activists of Imran Khans Pakistan TehreekeInsaf PTI have been arrested during the last two days taking the total number of arrests to 500 as the party continues its Jail Bharo Tehreek court arrest movement in Punjab provinceAccording to police 130 PTI workers and leaders have courted arrest from Gujranwala and another 150 from Sargodha of PunjabOver 500 PTI activists have been arrested so far mostly from Punjab as part of the movement launched on February 22 from Lahore according to policeOn Tuesday a large number of PTI workers gathered in Sahiwal city some 200 kms from Lahore for court arrestThe caretaker Punjab government has said that the arrested PTI workers and leaders have been sent to different jails in the province for 30 days under a public maintenance orderThe PTI says it has launched the Jail Bharo Tehreek over the violation of fundamental rights abuse of the Constitution and the economic meltdown in the countryThe party has said that every day a few hundred PTI workers and leaders will present themselves for arrest from different cities till the movement achieves its objectiveAlso read Toshakhana case Pak court issues nonbailable arrest warrant against Imran KhanMeanwhile on PTIs petition for the recovery of the partys senior leaders arrested in connection with its Jail Bharo Tehreek the Punjab government told the Lahore High Court LHC that they have been detained in different jails across the province for 30 daysPTI vice chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi have been detained in Attock jail PTI secretary general Asad Umar in Rajanpur former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema in Bhakkar Senator Walid Iqbal in Layyah Senator Azam Swati in Rahim Yar Khan and former Punjab minister in Murad Raas the Punjab government law official saidFearing that the countrys intelligence agencies may inflict torture on them at an undisclosed location last week PTI asked the LHC to seek the recovery of the partys senior leaders who had courted arrestPTI chief and ousted prime minister Imran Khan has said his party started the Jail Bharo campaign for Haqeeqi Azadi real freedom for two main reasons one it is a peaceful nonviolent protest against the attack on our constitutionallyguaranteed fundamental rights And second the party is facing sham FIRs amp National Accountability Bureau NAB cases custodial torture and attacks on journalists by the incumbent governmentThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever