Lahore police say an audio recording recovered from Amin’s phone points to an alleged plan to gather and train 20 to 30 people for unrest, while PTI rejects the allegations.
LAHORE: Lahore police have arrested a suspected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist over allegations that he was involved in a plan to create unrest in the provincial capital during the party’s planned Sept. 27 protest.
DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said the suspect, identified as Amin, was arrested on Sept. 26 after police received information about the alleged plan. He said the suspect was allegedly involved in arranging and training people for violence similar to the incidents of May 9.
According to police, an audio recording recovered from Amin’s mobile phone allegedly contains a conversation about gathering 20 to 30 people and bringing them to Lahore for the protest. Police also identified a woman in the alleged recording as Fatima Haider.
Kamran said Haider was associated with the PTI welfare wing and had previously faced cases linked to the May 9 incidents. Police alleged that Haider and Amin discussed preparations for creating unrest during the planned demonstration.
Police said several other audio recordings were also recovered from Amin’s phone. Multiple teams have been formed to investigate the alleged plan and trace other people who may have been involved. The police said the recovered audio would be sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency for forensic examination. A case has also been registered at Defence A Police Station.
Police said Amin was from Sahiwal and worked as a driver for Haider’s family. Authorities are investigating where the alleged recruits were to be trained and whether others were involved in the plan. The Sept. 27 PTI protest was later postponed to Oct. 4, according to police-related reports.
The PTI has rejected the allegations. Punjab PTI information secretary Shaukat Basra described the police claims as part of what he called an attempt to build a narrative against the party.
Basra said the PTI had repeatedly directed its supporters to remain peaceful and challenged police to present concrete evidence supporting the allegations.
He also reiterated the party’s position that the May 9 violence was a false-flag operation and questioned why CCTV footage related to those incidents had not been presented in court.
Basra further disputed police claims regarding action at private residences. He said videos posted on his social media accounts showed police entering homes and challenged senior police officials to respond to those allegations.
The allegations remain under investigation, with police saying forensic analysis and further inquiries will determine the authenticity and scope of the alleged plan.
About The Author
