Dozens of PTI Workers Detained in Lahore Ahead of Sept 27 March

LAHORE: Police have detained dozens of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers and several local leaders in Lahore as security measures intensify ahead of the party's planned September 27 protest and march toward Islamabad. The latest police action forms part of preparations by authorities who say they are seeking to maintain public order before the opposition mobilisation.

The initial report contains differing figures for the latest detentions. Its headline says 37 workers were arrested, while the body states that 32 workers were detained under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order law and four local leaders were arrested in connection with cases linked to the May 9 unrest. Police sources also said further arrests were being made using lists prepared as part of law-and-order arrangements.

The crackdown comes three days before PTI's announced September 27 mobilisation. The party says it intends to march toward the federal capital as part of its campaign seeking the release of its founder, former prime minister Imran Khan, and raising broader constitutional and political demands. Authorities, meanwhile, have introduced restrictions in Islamabad and Punjab and have said gatherings held in violation of applicable orders could face legal action.

Islamabad is currently under Section 144, with an order barring gatherings of five or more people as well as rallies, processions and demonstrations in public places. The order is scheduled to remain in force for two months. Punjab has separately imposed restrictions on public gatherings, while the provincial government has sought Rangers deployment in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali through October 5 as part of security preparations surrounding the expected protest.

The latest Lahore detentions follow earlier preventive custody orders against PTI-linked individuals, including Imran Khan's sisters Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi. The Lahore deputy commissioner ordered their detention for 30 days under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order law on September 21. Their sister Aleema Khan had been detained a day earlier, with all three cases attracting legal challenges and political attention.

On Thursday, the Lahore High Court declined a request to immediately suspend the detention orders against Uzma and Noreen. Justice Abher Gul Khan instead issued notices to the Punjab government and other respondents and sought their replies before deciding the request. The court proceedings mean the legality of the preventive detention orders remains under judicial consideration.

PTI representatives have maintained that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and have indicated that preparations for the September 27 mobilisation are continuing. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has publicly defended the right to protest, while federal and provincial authorities have stressed that existing restrictions and public-order laws will be enforced. The competing positions have increased attention on road access, arrests and security deployments ahead of the planned march.

The immediate focus will remain on whether further detentions are carried out in Lahore and other districts, how courts respond to pending challenges against preventive custody orders, and whether PTI proceeds with its Islamabad march under the current restrictions. Authorities are expected to maintain heightened security through September 27, while any changes to protest plans, transport routes or public-order measures could significantly affect movement in Punjab and the federal capital.