Punjab Police late Monday raided the houses of several PTI leaders, including former energy minister Hammad Azhar, Usman Dar, and Babar Awan, while a police constable was also shot dead during a raid in Lahore.
The development comes hours after PTI’s Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry, in a press conference, warned the government against using force to stop the “Azadi March”, set to begin on May 25.
The former information minister told the government that it could arrest PTI leaders and workers if it wanted to, but it would not be in its favour.
Party sources have said that around 73 workers have been arrested so far. During a raid on one of the PTI leader’s house in Lahore’s Model Town, police constable Kamal Ahmed was shot in the chest and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds.
The suspect fired the bullet from the rooftop of a house, police said. “…we are still investigating but we will not spare those involved [in the crime],” DIG Operations Lahore Captain (Retd) Muhammad Sohail Chaudhry said.
Meanwhile, despite Fawad’s warning of using force against the PTI ahead of the long march, police raided the houses of PTI leaders across Punjab and Islamabad.