Opposition parties were in uproar on Thursday after Islamabad police conducted an operation inside the Parliament Lodges and made 10 arrests, including that of JUI-F MNA Salahuddin Ayubi.
The police action came after members of Ansarul Islam, a uniformed volunteer force of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), entered the Parliament Lodges in large numbers.
Islamabad Inspector General of Police Muhammad Ahsan Younus took notice of the group's presence inside the lodges. According to a tweet posted from the capital police's official account, he suspended the officials in charge at D-Chowk under whose watch the Ansarul Islam workers had entered the lodges. Subsequently, he personally led the operation.Footage on Twitter showed police officials conducting a search inside the lodges and looking for "the ones in uniforms". In separate videos, police officials were seen making arrests and forcing JUI-F workers out of the lodges.
Interior minister accuses JUI-F of torturing, locking up police
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid, while talking to media, accused JUI-F of bringing 70 workers of Ansarul Islam inside the lodges.
"People were hidden inside the lodges," he said. "We still wanted the matter to be resolved peacefully ... but they beat and locked up police officials and did not hand over Ansarul Islam members."
"We are also trying to prevent others from coming to parliament," Rashid said.
The interior minister is also expected to hold a press conference tonight.
JUI-F chief calls workers to either head to capital or block roads
Meanwhile, chief of the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance Maulana Fazlur Rahman arrived at the lodges and also called on his party workers to gather in the capital.
"Our volunteers got here peacefully," he said. "They (police) stormed into our lodges and attacked our MNA.
"I want to tell my party workers to either reach Islamabad or block roads in their cities and resist this in incompetent govt," he added.
Later, while speaking to journalist Shahzeb Khanzada on his Geo News show, Rehman demanded immediate release of his party's workers and volunteers, also demanding an apology from the authorities.
"We demand that our MNAs and others be released and that they apologise," he said. "We have declared war and will not forgive them for this terrorism."
Following Rehman's call, JUI-F's Sindh chapter announced that it was staging sit-in protests in Jacobabad and Sukkur as well as Karachi's Super Highway, Hub River Road and National Highway. A sit-in was also staged at Hyderabad Toll Plaza and the road was blocked for traffic.
Shehbaz demands immediate release of detained JUI-F workers
Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif condemned the operation and demanded for immediate expulsion of police from the Parliament Lodges.
"Raiding the residence of members of the parliament is [open] bullying," he said. "Police's torture and arrests of parliamentary members is highly condemnable."
"The government should come to its senses and detained workers should be freed immediately."
Sharif accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of taking the country towards chaos due to "the fear of the opposition's no-trust move against him".
PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said he was in a meeting with Ayaz Sadiq when he was told that police had entered [the lodges]. "They said they have warrants for JUI-F workers. We tried to explain to them that you can't enter the lodges this way," he added, calling the move "illegal".
Police should not become PM's tool: Maryam
PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz said Islamabad police should refrain from becoming a "tool" of PM Imran and his government.
"Taking the blame for such madness-based actions is not appropriate. [You] will have to suffer losses," she warned.