Islamabad police arrested former Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, his wife Humaira Tayyaba and dozens of Jamaat-e-Islami protesters during a pro-Palestine protest in the federal capital on Saturday.

They were allegedly arrested for moving to protest at the D-Chowk. Meanwhile, the police established a strong presence at the Express Chowk, declaring that no protests would be allowed in the area.

“No protests will be permitted, nor will anyone be allowed to gather at the Express Chowk,” they said in a statement and added that the authorities were fully prepared to prevent any demonstrations, with prisoner transport vans deployed and female police officers assigned to the scene.

The police confirmed that Ahmed was arrested for violating Section 144 of the CrPc, which prohibits gatherings.

A clip shared on the X, erstwhile Twitter, page of the senator showed dragging Ahmed to the police van as he was heard criticising the police for allegedly assaulting children.

“From the river to the sea,” he chanted as police pushed him to the van gate. He was showing the “victory sign”.

The post claimed the police also arrested women and children.

Another video, shared by the Save Gaza Campaign, showed Ahmed in an altercation with a government official. They were arguing about the site of the protest. The official could be heard asking the former senator to move to the press club, which the latter refused, saying that he the deputy commissioner allowed them to protest at the designated site.

Tayyaba stated that the protesters had assured the Islamabad police that they would not block any road and pro

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The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7 which resulted in the deaths of 1,199 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 40,691 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry. The UN rights office says most of the dead are women and children.

Incessant Israeli bombardment has also caused a major humanitarian crisis and devastated the health system.