PTI Top Leaders
RAWALPINDI: Top leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chief were briefly detained by Punjab Police on Tuesday for allegedly violating Section 144.
Among those arrested were prominent PTI figures Omar Ayub, Asad Qaiser, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, and SIC Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza.
The leaders were taken into custody when they attempted to meet PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned for over a year, and PTI leaders frequently visit him to discuss the party’s political strategies. The Sunni Ittehad Council, led by Sahibzada Hamid Raza, is a close ally of PTI, with some PTI lawmakers currently representing SIC in parliament.
Notably, PTI leader Aliya Hamza Malik was also part of the delegation that arrived to meet Khan but was not arrested, as she remained at a distance from her fellow party members.
Before being detained, Omar Ayub, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, told reporters that the group had come to the jail after a court granted them permission to meet Imran Khan.
Shibli Faraz, opposition leader in the Senate, explained in a conversation with Geo News that they intended to discuss protest strategies with Khan and deliberate on the party’s future course of action.
Punjab Police, however, arrested the political leaders, citing a violation of Section 144, which had been imposed in Rawalpindi earlier in the week in anticipation of a PTI rally.
In response, the PTI condemned the arrests, calling them “unjust” and claiming the leaders were simply “exercising their right to meet with Imran Khan, as permitted by law.” The party demanded their immediate release.
In related developments, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi issued an arrest warrant for PTI leader Sheikh Waqas Akram in two terrorism cases registered at the Hassan Abdal police station in Attock. The warrant was issued after Akram failed to appear in court.
This is not the first time PTI leaders have been arrested amid legal challenges. In September, Islamabad police arrested PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, MNA Sher Afzal Marwat, and others outside Parliament House for violating laws related to peaceful assembly during a rally. They were later released.
The arrests of PTI’s top leadership are expected to deepen the political rift between the opposition and the ruling coalition.
PTI has announced a “do-or-die” protest to restore judicial independence and secure Imran Khan’s release. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has vowed to secure Khan’s freedom, even pledging to sacrifice lives if necessary.
Speaking at a rally in Swabi, Gandapur declared, “We will not rest until the release of the PTI founder,” signaling the party’s readiness to intensify its campaign.
The situation remains tense, with PTI leaders determined to push forward, especially in light of their planned march on Islamabad.
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