ISLAMABAD: The party condemned the brief detention of many PTI leaders outside Adiala Jail on Tuesday as they sought to meet with Imran Khan, the party’s imprisoned chief.
Those arrested included Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, and Opposition Leaders in the National Assembly and Senate Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz.
According to the police, the party leaders were taken into custody under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), however they were subsequently given a warning before being released.
Mr. Qaiser informed Dawn that after being refused permission to meet with Imran Khan, the PTI has petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The jail supervisor was called by the court, and he promised that we may meet Khan Sahib. With the court warrant in hand, we came Tuesday at 2:00 pm, but the jail officials still denied us admission,” he stated.
“In Pakistan, it seems like the law of the jungle applies. We were brought to a local police station, and after calling people on our cell phones, the media showed up, and we were finally given permission to depart,” he added.
He went on to condemn the act as a breach of fundamental human rights and a disobedience of the IHC’s order, saying, “We have decided to lodge a FIR, submit a privilege motion, and raise the matter in standing committees.”
Additionally, the PTI leaders accused Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr. Usman Anwar, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of ordering their unlawful imprisonment.
The PTI leaders were taken to a police post after they disregarded warnings regarding the Section 144 gathering ban, a police official told Dawn. However, they received a warning and were shortly released. According to a senior police official, “the police would have taken legal action against them if they had refused to leave.”
It is truly dishonorable.
On social media, the PTI also denounced the event.
It is truly dishonorable! Outside of Adiala Jail, Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Asad Qaiser, Ahmed Bhachar, and Sahibzada Hamid Raza were taken into custody for merely using their legally granted right to meet with Imran Khan. The party said on the social media site X (previously Twitter) that “this should alarm anyone who values the rule of law, as it shows how basic freedoms are being trampled upon.”
The party shared a video on its website that showed Hamid Raza being dragged away by uniformed staff as Omar Ayub was in a car with police officers close by. The footage also showed a police van.
Mr. Faraz later criticized the police action during a news conference, claiming that it violated his constitutional rights. He claimed that despite not holding any demonstrations, public gatherings, or acts of hostility, the party leaders who went to meet Imran Khan were taken into custody.
Sheikh Waqas Akram, the PTI’s central information secretary, condemned the government’s actions as a breach of democratic liberties and demanded that those involved face legal repercussions.
He urged the court to take harsh action against individuals who violate the law and condemned the government’s “disregard for the judiciary” and accused contempt of court.
According to Mr. Akram, the senior PTI leaders were denied the opportunity to meet with Imran Khan despite waiting until 3 p.m. outside Adiala Jail. Nevertheless, they were arrested when they tried to depart.
He claimed that because PTI leaders, employees, and supporters were being harassed and detained in complete contempt for the law, the government was “crossing all limits of barbarism and brutalities.”
Maryam’s journey
In a further attack on the Sharif family, the PTI claimed that Maryam Nawaz’s trip to Geneva was for a “minor medical procedure.”
While she gets treatment abroad at public money, the party spokeswoman accused Ms. Nawaz of ignoring Punjab’s citizens, who are dealing with extreme smog, rising crime, and inflation.
