KARACHI: Police and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers clashed outside the Sindh High Court on Thursday when the law enforcers tried to arrest the party`s Sindh chapter president Haleem Adil Sheikh during a party protest held to demand release of former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan.

As the police attempted to detain Mr Sheikh, who was leading the protest, PTI workers resisted with force and the situation led to scuffles and chaos in the area outside the court for nearly an hour. Despite several efforts, however, no arrests were made as the party workers thwarted all attempts made by the police.

Many women workers also took part in the protest where they chanted slogans andblamed the Sindh government for the situation.

Talking to Dawn, Preedy SHO Shabbir Hussain said that the police attempt to arrest Mr Sheikh but in vain and that the law enforcement agency retreated after some lawyers intervened, and subsequently ensured the peacefuldispersalofthe protesters.

Several workers of the party had staged the protest demonstration to demand immediate release of the party`s founder Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and other jailed leaders of the PTI.

Among the participants were senior PTI leaders, including Faheem Khan, Aftab Jahangir, Advocate Zahoor Mehsud, Advocate Shujaat Ali Khan, Advocate Manzoor Bhutta, Jamal Siddiqui, Parliamentary party leader Shabbir Qureshi, Sajid Mir, Rehan Bandokda, Jafar-ul-Hassan, Dawa Khan, Fauzia Siddiqui, Barrister Ahsan Adil Sheikh, Advocate Daniyal Magsi, Jamila Baloch and others.

Addressing the demonstration, Mr Sheikh condemned the police action, calling it `statesponsored terrorism.` He said that Imran Khan is the true leader of the nation who is being punished with false cases for standing up for the rights of the people.He further alleged that Sindh was under `civilian dictatorship` while the rest of the country was operating under `undeclared martial law.` He said that that the 26th Constitutional Amendment had led to the breakdown of judicial independence and the collapse of justice in Pakistan.

`Imran Khan is not a beneficiary in this matter,` he said while referring to the Al-Qadir Trust case. `There is no corruption on his part. The real corruption was committed by Asif Ali Zardari and Malik Riaz, who used laundered money to purchase luxury apartments in London, the beneficiaries of which are members of the Sharif family.

Senior Vice President PTI-Karachi Faheem Khan echoed Mr Sheikh`s sentiments, condemning what he called `police brutality` against peaceful demonstrators. `Such oppression will not erase the love people have for Imran Khan. If state repression continues, we will respond with full force,` he said.

He reiterated that the incarceration of Imran Khan and other PTI leaders is unjust and that the entire system has been crippled to silence the nation. `But the people are ready and this dark night of tyranny will come to an end,` he said.