Mohsin Raja was taking part in a large demonstration to show his support for the outgoing Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan. He ended up behind bars.
The past few days have been chaotic in the Pakistani city of Lahore. Several times the police came to Zaman Park to arrest Imran Khan. He was the Prime Minister of Pakistan until April last year and these days he lives in the region. Khan was forced to step down after a vote of no confidence.
However, Khan is the most popular leader in Pakistan. He is the leader of the PTI party. In several by-elections over the past year, the party has won nearly 75 percent of the vote. After his resignation, Khan pushed for new elections. In July, it will be five years since Pakistan elected a new National Assembly. However, the current government has not called for new elections.
On Wednesday, Khan announced a protest march in Lahore. Mohsen Raja, who was named the best citizen of Oslo by the readers of Aftenposten in 2015, was due to take part in the rally. Things did not quite go according to the Norwegian-Pakistani plan.
– We were on our way to Zaman Park at 11:30 and we noticed that there were a lot of policemen there. The rally was supposed to start at 2 pm, but the police blocked off the streets because they wanted to prevent people from participating. I was with someone else. When we approached the police, they asked where we were going. I said frankly that I was going to Zaman Garden. Then one of them said sarcastically: “We’re taking you to the Zaman Park.” Then they dragged us into a police car, says Raja on the phone from Pakistan.
A police report that Aftenposten had access to showed that several people were arrested in Lahore on Wednesday. According to the report, they chanted anti-government slogans.
Raja sent a document with Aftenposten, listing his name among those arrested who were taken to the relevant police station.
It was a cold shower
Raja could say the police had long batons, but they didn’t hit him. Others took a few hits.
There was a shoving and scrambling when I tried to resist, but it didn’t help. Then I told them I’m a Norwegian, but they were so cold. They managed to get us into the car and take it to a police station not far from the Indian border. It was more than 20 kilometers away from Zaman Park. There they put us in a cell.
In the end there were 20-25 PTI supporters in the cell. According to Raja, it became very crowded in the cell where other detainees were also present.
– We started chanting for Imran Khan. Then a policeman came and threw a bucket of water at us. Then several of us got wet, says Raja.
On Thursday, they appeared before a judge. The police wanted to jail them, but the judge released Raja and the other detainees.
– We were released as soon as the court’s verdict became clear. Then we took a taxi to the police station to collect our belongings. I got everything back but not my cell phone. It was taken from me immediately after the arrest. I haven’t seen her since, says Raja.
A country in crisis
Raja is currently working in sales and has brought the job to Pakistan. He will be there until April. He does not hide the fact that he is an active supporter of Khan and PTI.
– I will participate in many events while I am here. It is an important issue for me and millions of others.
In recent months, not only Pakistan has struggled with political turmoil. The country also suffered from major economic problems. Many fear the bankruptcy of the country. Therefore, after pressure from the International Monetary Fund, the country increased taxes on many goods. The price of petrol, for example, has increased by more than 80 percent in the past year. At the same time, the currency weakened significantly. This has resulted in more people suffering financially.
“Organizer. Social media geek. General communicator. Bacon scholar. Proud pop culture trailblazer.”