Carrying jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf party’s flag is a crime in the country as police arrested a number of supporters in different cities who took part in protests to express solidarity with the people of Palestine.

The police arrested at least 50 workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday who gathered in Lahore, Islamabad, Vehari, Multan and Gujranwala cities to express solidarity with Palestinians, the party said.

Although different religious parties held pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country only those carrying PTI flags were rounded up.

The PTI has condemned the use of state machinery and unlawful detention of peaceful protesters in various parts of the country, who were expressing solidarity and support for the war-ravaged and besieged Palestinians.

A PTI spokesperson termed the use of state machinery against the peaceful protesters as shameful, expressing his surprise that the citizens are being arrested for their sole crime of expressing solidarity and support for the oppressed Palestinians.

He said it is the continuation of the state coercive policy based on political revenge since Khan was ousted from power in April last year.