Tough days ahead for PTI supporters backing Imran Khan

Lahore/Gujrat – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – Two developments in Lahore and Gujranwala on Sunday night point to growing difficulties for PTI sympathisers in Punjab.

On Monday, a session’s court approved pre-arrest bail for a qawwal accused of singing a track linked to former Prime Minister Imran Khan during a state-sponsored cultural programme.

According to the FIR filed by Shalimar Gardens in-charge Zameerul Hasan, the performer, Faraz Amjad Khan, allegedly turned the event political by singing “Qaidi No. 804,” a slogan associated with Imran Khan. Additional District and Sessions Judge Shazaib Dar heard the bail plea, with the artist appearing alongside his legal counsel.

He requested the court to grant pre-arrest bail to the singer as he wanted to join the investigation to “prove his innocence”.

After preliminary arguments, the judge allowed the bail till Jan 13 and sought the case record from the police.

Baghbanpura police registered an FIR on Sunday night against Faraz for performing the song ‘Nak Da Koka 2 Murshid’ at the “non-political” programme organised by the Walled City of Lahore Authority on Jan 3.

According to the complainant, the qawwal and his band members “deliberately sang an inciting political song without permission.”

The administration then asked the singer to stop, which sparked public unrest and incitement, posing a risk to law and order.

The case invoked Sections 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 109 (punishment of abetment), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace), and 505 (1b) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

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In the other incident, the Gujranwala district administration detained seven supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf after they chanted slogans carrying pictures of jailed party founder Imran Khan at a wedding function near Rahwali Cantonment.

Gujranwala Deputy Commissioner Naveed Ahmed, on the basis of a report from the Gujranwala police, issued the detention orders of seven PTI supporters under section 03 of the maintenance of public order (MPO) for the period of 14 days from January 03.

Earlier the local police had arrested the PTI supporters including Istikhar Ahmed of Talwandi Khajoor Wali, Tariq Mehmood of Lambawali, Kareem Bhinder of Rahwali, Zahid of Shareefpura, Imran Beig of Salamat Pura, Zeeshan of Kashmirpura and Ayaz of Tarragari. They were later sent to the Gujranwala district jail.

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These detained people had chanted slogans in favour of Imran Khan while carrying his posters at the stage of a wedding ceremony of Hassan Malik in a banquet hall near Rahwali.

The local police reported to the administration that these PTI supporters had planned to stage a protest demonstration by blocking the main GT road in favour of the party leader.