Sajid, who was sitting at the election office of APML candidate Dr Muhammad Amjad, which is also in the market, said the men and women arrived there at around 8:45pm in a pickup truck and a sedan.

“Even the police did not stop them from tearing down the posters,” he said. “How could we party workers have dared to intervene? Sajid said the Lal Mosque crowd has not created any trouble at the election office. Islamabad police officials stationed near Aabpara chowk denied any knowledge of the activity.

However, eyewitness Umar Khan, who sells jewellery and wallets on the sidewalk at the Aabpara market, confirmed the incident. Khan also claimed the people who tore the posters belonged to Lal Masjid and said he supported their “act of vengeance” against Musharraf’s party.

In 2007, Musharraf ordered a military operation at Lal Masjid after its leadership refused to disarm and stop harassing people in the capital. Around 100 people were killed in the operation, including at least 11 soldiers and at least 84 terrorists inside the mosque, including the mosque’s deputy cleric and students, who had decided to stay inside the mosque compound after being given the opportunity to peacefully vacate the premises by law enforcement officials, were killed during the operation.