KARACHI: As many as 24 leaders and workers of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf were briefly detained outside the Karachi Press Club on Friday, officials said.

Among the detained persons was the party`s provincial president Haleem Adil Sheikh.

They added that alarge number of PTI workers reached the KPC to hold a demonstration to express their concerns over the perceived deteriorating health of the incarcerated head of the party, Imran Khan.

Several men and women carried banners inscribed with slogans in favour of the former prime minister.

They chanted slogans and delivered speeches as well.

All roads leading to the KPC were closed for traffic by parking heavy vehicles. The roadblocks set up by the authorities caused severe traffic problems for commuters.

Contingents of police, including female officers, detained 24 leaders and workers, including three women, said PTI Sindh spokesperson Mohammed AliBozdar.

He said the party`s Insaf lawyer s` forum represent atives arrived at the Preedy police station where they held talks with the police officials and subsequently all the detained persons were released.

South SSP Mahzor Ali confirmed that all the detained persons were released.

He said the police took the action because the protesters were `highly charged` and the law enforcers feared that they might resort to vandalism and create law and order situation. `Therefore, the police just removed them from there, but they were not arrested,` said the SSP.

Later in the evening, South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that a total of 24 workers of the PTI were detained but all of them were released.