Why fear from jails?

LAHORE -- For two days conAtinuously, Zaman Park Lahore and its inhabitants faced the worst tear gas shelling in the wake of atAtempt to arrest the Chairman PTI Imran Khan; thanks to the HonAourable Lahore High Court for bringing sigh of relief to the residents of the affected area in particular, and to the citizens of Lahore in general suspending the operation to arrest for the time being. The arrest of Imran Khan was needed by Islamabad Police in compliance of an arrest warArant issued by Session Court Islamabad that could only be executed with the help of Punjab police having its territoArial jurisdiction. Though it was legally required to execute the warrant in orAder to establish the writ of the state yet the justification put by Imran Khan for resistance to surrender is quite serious and cannot be oversighted as he says he has genuine life threats from his political rivals besides threats to face humiliation and third-degree methAods as tirade of interior minister Rana Sana-Ullah against Imran Khan is an open secret. Historically speaking, it is interesting to know that during the British Raj leaders, both of Congress and Muslim League were always ready to surrender for arrest leading from the front, and the 2nd line leadership graced themselves along with other followers to initiate 'Jail Baro Tehreek' placing themselves in jail in order to show solidarity with their leaders. To find solace in jail was so fearless pheAnomena that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was confined thirteen times from 1908 to 1942. Even our own hisAtory is replete with stark events of galAlows to jail whereby the prominent leaders and poets can be seen behind bar including Mujeeb-U-Rehman, ZulAfiqar Ali Bhutto, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and so on. If jail has been a fearless place for political leadership in the past, then why to feel fear from jail now? UnfortuAnately, the power politics dominated by ruling elite consisting of feudal, and inAdustrial gentry skimmed the space for politics of argument that had travelled since long passing through the period of British rule. Our later political genAtry in Pakistan preferred to curb every dissent voice instead of engagement in result thereof political rivalry of arguAments was converted into enmity reAsulting into registration of false cases leading to the fear of torture sending alarming waves within the political circles. The political elite of the counAtry found relief in avoiding to go to prison by all means fearing that...

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