Over a dozen held as police storm Parliament Lodges

The Islamabad police on Thursday stormed the Parliament Lodges and arrested member Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MNA Salahuddin Ayubi and 11 others. The police entered the lodges on a tip-off pertaining to the presence of volunteers of JUI-F's subsidiary Ansarul Islam. About 10 to 12 workers of the party were apprehended following the failure of talks. The law enforcement agency reportedly broke the door of the MNA’s room to arrest him. Meanwhile, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has reportedly asked party's workers to reach Islamabad and he also reached the lodges accompanied by other lawmakers. Fazl earlier took to Twitter to claim that police wanted to “abduct” his party’s workers and his volunteers had arrived at the lodges to protect them. He added that his party wanted to “provide security to the MNAs itself.” اسلام آباد کی پولیس ہمارے ایم این ایز کو اغوا کرنا چاہتی ہے جن کے تحفظ کے لئے ہمارے رضاء کار پہنچے ہیں ۔ہم اپنے ایم این ایز کا تحفظ خود کرنا چاہتے ہیں ۔ — Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman (@MoulanaOfficial) March 10, 2022 Meanwhile, talking to media persons, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said that the situation was escalated by the political workers present at the scene. He further said that he had directed police to maintain law and order at the scene and criticised the opposition for creating a scene at the lodges. Also read: Zardari is my first target: PM According to Rashid, they are trying to contain the unrest so the situation does not go out of control prior to the tabling of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Talking to the media at the scene, Fazl said he is ready for a voluntary arrest in protest against the detention of his workers. The JUI-F chief also asked his workers to take to the streets and launch a protest wherever they were located in the federal capital. Expressing his views, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari denounced the police raid, saying: “A puppet prime minister is harassing parliamentarians through terror and fear.” He claimed that the “harassment” was not just aimed at the JUI-F members but also at other lawmakers. Zardari asked the police and the capital’s administration to avoid abiding by illegal orders “of the puppet”. Reacting to the developments, Central President Awami National Party (ANP) Asfandyar Wali Khan said the police should not play in the hands of the rulers. He also said political disputes should not be turned into personal enmity as it will only harm the country and the nation. اسلام آباد پولیس ریاست کی پولیس ہے جن کا کام عوام کی تحفظ ہے، پولیس کو حکمرانوں کا آلہ کار نہیں بننا چاہیئے، حکمران آج عمران تو کل کوئی اور ہوگا، سیاسی اختلاف کو ذاتی دشمنیوں کی حد تک پہنچنے سے نقصان ملک و قوم کا ہوگا — Asfandyar Wali Khan (@AsfandyarKWali) March 10, 2022 Later, holding a press conference Sheikh Rashid said: "The opposition could not ensure the presence of 172 lawmakers for the no-confidence motion and now they are using other tactics for the same." “We have not arrested the MNA,” he said, adding, “We have only arrested some 20 people of the private militia Ansarul Islam.” He further said the JUI-F MNA and his acquaintances were sitting at the police station at their own will and that they were not under arrest. The minister warned JUI-F workers should not take the law into their hands or "the law will take its course against them."  

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