Islamabad police arrest human rights activist Tahira Abdullah, others

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police on Friday arrested prominent human rights activists Tahira Abdullah and Samina Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mushtaq Ahmed, and several others outside the National Press Club.

The group had gathered to participate in a protest rally expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza and condemning Israeli actions in the Palestinian territory.

According to eyewitnesses, the activists were detained before the protest could formally begin and were taken to the G-7 Women’s Police Station.

Senior journalist Hamid Mir criticised the arrests, writing on X: “Islamabad Police must explain why they arrested Tahira Abdullah and Samina Khan? Why is showing solidarity with Palestinians a crime in Islamabad?”

The protest was aimed at denouncing the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza and calling for an end to the bloodshed. However, police cited Section 144—currently enforced in the federal capital—as grounds for the arrests, noting that public gatherings and protests are prohibited under the regulation.

Later, Tahira Abdullah and Samina Khan were released by the police and both of them raised the Palestinian flag while leaving the police station.

Also read: Section 144 imposed in Islamabad ahead of PTI protest

Earlier, the Islamabad district administration had issued a statement warning against any form of protest, declaring such activity a violation of the Assembly Act.

“Those who staged demonstrations yesterday have already been taken into custody,” the administration’s spokesperson said, adding that cases had been registered against individuals who “took the law into their own hands.”

The spokesperson warned of “strict legal action” against any future violations and urged citizens to refrain from participating in “unlawful activities.”