Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s supporters gathered at the Charing Cross Chowk on The Mall harassed journalists and female supporters of the party, forcing them to leave the venue before the party chairman’s speech.
The rowdy PTI supporters also lashed out at TV crews who noticed the harassment of young women and tried to damage their equipment. A female reporter of Geo News, Sana Mirza, was also targeted as she stood atop the channel’s DSNG van to cover the event. Geo News reporter Amin Hafeez and cameraman Raja Amir were also hit with stones, glass projectiles and bottles. Sana Mirza broke into tears after she was struck hard reportedly by a marble targeted from a slingshot.
A young PTI supporter, asking not to be named, told Pakistan Today that she was repeatedly harassed by youths right in front of the stage where the party leadership was due to make speeches, adding that no one from the PTI’s security detail intervened to rescue them from the situation.
“This is the last time I’m going to attend any political rally of PTI. I am still unable to recover from the shock,” she said, as the family drove away from the venue.
Shahnaz Aslam, a mother of two, said she had come to participate in the rally along with her husband and sisters from Township but was disappointed at the way they had been treated by unruly youths.
“Several young men clad in PTI colours were wildly dancing to party anthems without caring for other people, especially women, who were standing right next to them. They deliberately kept falling on us and touched our body parts,” she said, adding that her husband had told the family that it was the last time they were attending a political rally.
“Our hearts are with Imran Khan which is why we came to the Charing Cross Chowk but the attitude of the party’s youth is shameful. The PTI needs to ensure security for women if it wants women’s participation in future events,” she said.
Talking to Pakistan Today, PTI leader Naeemul Haq said that the party would conduct an enquiry into the incident and PTI workers found involved in harassment of women would be expelled from the party.
However, seconds later Haq alleged that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had sent its “hooligans” to sabotage PTI’s massive gathering.
“PML-N’s Gullus were everywhere while the police was nowhere to be seen,” said Haq.
“PML-N has addressed at least four press conferences today. They have sent their workers to carry out such acts,” he added, but dodged questions as to why no PTI worker intervened when the women were being harassed.
The matter was also brought to the notice of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who in a statement, said that harassment of women would lead to immediate expulsion of the persons responsible from the party.
Renowned lawyer Asma Jahangir said it seemed that PTI had empowered hooligans and not the poor.
Meanwhile, a large number of journalists led by Lahore Press Club President Arsah Ansari protested against the harassment of reporters and filed an application with the Civil Lines Police Station for registration of a case against PTI Chairman Imran Khan, PTI Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry among others.