Police carry PTI leaders and workers to jail after they volunteer for arrest.

LAHORE – Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) officials and a number of activists were taken to prison by Lahore police teams on Wednesday, minutes after they had courted arrest by following Imran Khan, the party’s leader.

As part of the “Jail Bharo” campaign inside the PTI, Shah Mahmood Qureshi was the first to court arrest. According to reports, police transported the PTI deputy chairman in a jail vehicle. Afterwards, additional leaders including Azam Swati, Asad Umar, and Zubair Niazi sat by themselves in the jail van. Hammad Azhar climbed atop a car purportedly to attract media attention, while Omar Sarfraz Cheema and other others turned themselves in.

When asked whether those detained will be imprisoned, the police said that they were transporting PTI officials and employees to the Kot Lakhpat and Camp prisons. It was previously asserted that no jail in Lahore could accommodate many political activists.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said on Twitter that numerous PTI officials, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, and Ejaz Chaudhry, have turned themselves in for the arrest. According to him, the crowd of people caused police officers to panic.

جیل بھرو تحریک کے آغاز پر تحریک انصاف کی مرکزی قیادت کی جانب سے پیش کی گئی گرفتاریوں پر مرکزی سینئر نائب صدر فواد چودھری کا خصوصی پیغام #جیل_بھرو_خوف_کے_بت_توڑو pic.twitter.com/20A1cazKFU

— PTI (@PTIofficial) February 22, 2023

Fawad praised the PTI workers for their reaction and said that the rally will continue tomorrow to Peshawar (Thursday).

Speaking from inside the police vehicle, Mr. Qureshi said: “I am ‘glad and content,’ and I encourage the populace to break free of dread and go out.”

کپتان کی کال پر جیل بھرو تحریک کی قیادت کرتے ہوئے وعدے کے مطابق پہلی گرفتاری دینا باعثِ فخر ھے۔ یہ تحریک تب تک جاری رہے گی جب تک امپورٹڈ حکومت ملک میں جاری لاقانونیت ختم نہیں کردیتی اور عوامی عدالت میں گزشتہ دس ماہ کی تباہ کاریوں کا حساب نہیں دیتی۔#جیل_بھرو_خوف_کا_بت_توڑو pic.twitter.com/0NLw1myobE

— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) February 22, 2023

Supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had begun congregating at Imran Khan’s Lahore home, Zaman Park, hours earlier to launch the movement, which was intended to call for elections while also protesting the state of the economy and the persecution of party officials and members. On the first day of the movement, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar made the decision to risk arrest. In light of this, Mr. Qureshi spoke to the employees on Prison Road and urged them to be prepared for a worthwhile cause the PTI has been pursuing.

He said that Imran Khan had prevented him from requesting an arrest but that because he was a well-known leader and was expected to take the initiative, he would go to Charing Cross and request one.

Several highways had a traffic gridlock as hundreds of PTI members started walking towards Mall Road. The party supporters were enthused. The gathering had been elevated to a historic occasion, the party leaders said.

The Central Punjab arm of the PTI had a significant meeting earlier to decide on the movement’s strategy. The march will begin on February 23 in Peshawar, Multan on February 25, Gujranwala on February 26, Sargodha on February 27, and Sahiwal on February 28. On March 1, it will make its way to Faisalabad.

Party officials sometimes sent messages on their social media accounts to encourage their followers to participate in the effort. A day earlier, Mr. Khan asked his fans in a video address to “load up the jails and smash the idols of dread.”

Also Read: Imran claims the “Jail Bharo” movement wants to fight against economic collapse and violations of basic rights.

This is the PTI’s most recent approach after it organised a protracted march and hosted protests in many cities in the wake of Imran Khan’s resignation as prime minister by a no-confidence vote in April of last year.