Crackdown in Rawalpindi as police evict AML members from Lal Haveli

Islamabad/Rawalpindi [Pakistan], Oct. 27 (ANI): In its crackdown to stop Awami Muslim League (AML) president Sheikh Rashid Ahmed from holding a rally tomorrow, the police is taking out his party members from the Lal Haveli, an old building in downtown Bohar Bazaar that serves as the former's political office. According to reports, huge police force surrounded the Lal Haveli in the late night crackdown. In a dramatic response to the Islamabad administration's order against public gatherings, Rashid had earlier said that he will "tear Section 144 into 144 pieces," adding, "On November 2, Rawalpindi will be closed down no matter what anyone does." PTI chief Imran Khan had in his press briefing challenged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. "Try stopping me, I will go to Lal Haveli tomorrow for Sheikh Rashid's rally," he said. Earlier this week, Rashid had said that he along with the PTI chairman will hold a mammoth public gathering on October 28 and will also invite Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, Sardar Latif Khosa and leaders of religious organisations to participate in the public meeting. He dubbed the public gathering as warm-up match against the ruling PML-N party. According to earlier reports, the Islamabad Police today also rounded up around 100 workers of Imran Khan-led PTI as they gathered in Sector E-11 area to attend a youth convention ahead of the party's planned "lockdown" of the national capital on November 2. The convention was being held hours after Imran Khan said that he would go ahead with his plan of closing down the capital come what may and even said that he would challenge the orders passed by the Islamabad High Court, reports the News International. The Frontier Corps troops were also called in as situation seemed to deteriorate during police action against the PTI workers. Section- 144 has also been imposed in capital Islamabad for two months by the capital administration, after the Islamabad High Court ordered the administration not to allow a shutdown of the city on November 2 during the PTI's proposed lockdown. The government authorities have been directed by the court to follow all legally available courses to stop the protest in any part of the capital other than the designated "Democracy Park and Speech Corner." Imran Khan has been demanding the government to order an inquiry into the Panama Papers leak disclosing offshore business interests of Pakistanis including Prime Minister Sharif's children. (ANI)