The Islamabad police on Friday released two JUI-F lawmakers and workers of Ansar-ul-Islam who were arrested during a police operation inside the Parliament Lodges.
On Thursday evening, police stormed the Parliament Lodges and arrested more than a dozen Ansar-ul-Islam workers – a uniformed volunteer force of the JUI – including MNA Maulana Jamaluddin, Salahuddin Ayubi and spokesperson Mufti Abdullah.
Following the arrest of party workers and parliamentarians, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman had called a countrywide protest and instructed party workers to stage a demonstration. But late night he, called off protest until morning and demanded release of the arrested party workers.
However, in the wee hours of Friday, the police released JUI-F MNA’s Maulana Jamaluddin, Salahuddin Ayubi and other party workers on bail and personal guarantees.
JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghouri confirmed the release of party workers on the microblogging site Twitter and thanked opposition parties and their workers for extending support.
“We want to thank the leadership of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), however, the next course of action will be decided after consultation with leadership,” he said
On the other hand, the police have cordoned off all the roads leading towards Parliament amid the JUI-F protest against the arrest of party workers.
THE OPERATION: Islamabad police on Thursday conducted an operation inside the Parliament Lodges on the command of the director-general of police (operations).
The DIG instructed the officials to evacuate media personnel from the building as they made their way towards the lodge of Ansar-ul-Islam MNA Salahuddin Ayubi which was situated on the fourth floor of the building.
Ayubi’s staff clashed with police. During a scuffle, PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique was injured when his foot hit the door.
Several parliamentarians of the PPP and the PML-N were also present in the lodges at the time, while Maulana Fazal also reached the venue.
Saad Rafique told journalists that Ayaz Sadiq was holding a meeting in the lodges when the incident happened.
Following the arrests, JUI chief Fazal arrived at the Parliament Lodges to surrender himself before the police.
Speaking to the press, he urged all his party workers to reach the Parliament Lodges as soon as possible.
He said that the “government wants to abduct the opposition’s members of the National Assembly” to reduce their number during the session when the no-confidence motion is moved.
“I will surrender myself along with some of my friends,” he said, urging all workers to reach Islamabad as soon as possible.
