ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Move On Pakistan party, Muhammad Kamran, was arrested from a rest house in Islamabad's Aabpara area, police sources confirmed.

A little-known political party, Move On Pakistan put up banners in 13 cities across the country earlier this month with its leaders urging Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif to impose martial law and form a government of technocrats.

Interestingly, the banners sprang up overnight on all major thoroughfares in the 13 cities, even in cantonment areas, despite the presence of several checkpoints and extra security.

Islamabad police on July 14 registered a case against the party under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 124-A (sedition), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Move On Pakistan party leadership was granted protective bail by the Islamabad High Court on Friday, which also disposed of the case against the party and directed the petitioners to appear before the court on July 22.

Ali Hashmi, the party’s central organiser, had told Dawn earlier that the goal of the campaign was to suggest to the army chief that after imposing martial law, he should form a government of technocrats, under his supervision.

But after this line drew a sharp reaction from the media and other institutions, the party had been at pains to distance itself from these claims. At a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, party members downplayed the perception that they wanted the army chief to impose martial law.

Talking to Dawn last week, ‘Move On Pakistan’ chairman Mohammad Kamran had been insistent that his party had nothing to with the army or the ruling PML-N.

Mr Kamran claimed that though their message was straight-forward, some elements were deliberately trying to make them controversial.

“We still believe that Gen Raheel Sharif should get an extension, but the media has been portraying it as if we are demanding martial law. The fact is that the government is not implementing the National Action Plan and Gen Sharif is the only personnel who can ensure its implementation,” he said.

He also denied receiving any funds or facilitation from either the army or a political party to print and display the banners.