With the arrests of key PTI leaders like Dr. Shireen Mazari and Dr. Yasmin Rashid in searches in Islamabad and Lahore, the police onslaught on PTI leaders shows no signs of abating.
The Islamabad police reportedly conducted a raid on Shireen Mazari’s home in the wee hours of Friday morning. After the arrests of Imran Khan, Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Ali Mohammad Khan, and Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, hers is the latest in a string of PTI leader detentions.
Except for Imran Khan, all of following figures were detained under subsection 3 of the MPO.
A PTI statement claims that Dr. Yasmin Rashid, the former health minister of Punjab, was also taken into custody.
PTI leader Andaleeb Abbas claimed that the former minister was fleeing from prison in an effort to protect female PTI leaders Shireen Mazari and Yasmin Rashid.
Two days ago, police arrested her and her close relatives, but her husband was released due to his declining condition. The law enforcement has yet to release her brother-in-law.
Dr. Yasmin Rashid is being investigated for multiple crimes, including an assault on the home of the Lahore Corps Commander.
Releasing PTI Chairman Imran Khan
Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust issue was pronounced “illegal” by the Supreme Court on May 11, resulting in a “immediate” release order from the court.
The Supreme Court has ordered the PTI chairman to spend the night at the Police Lines Guest House, where he can be with his loved ones.
Imran Khan has also been given until tomorrow to appear before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the same body that ruled that his arrest was proper.
It’s worth noting that the court has established an important precedent: no one can be arrested while on court property.
We’ll be arresting him once more.
It was unclear when he would be released to return home.
Despite being removed from office and having an assassination attempt made on him, Khan has continued to lead nationwide protest actions in an effort to get the government to announce early elections.
There are over a hundred cases pending against him, including this one for graft, any of which might result in a lifetime ban from public office if he were found guilty.
“We will arrest him again,” declared Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.
Khan, who faces up to seven billion rupees ($24.70 million) in land fraud charges as part of the graft prosecution, insists he did nothing wrong.
After Khan’s arrest, hundreds of protesters shut down major thoroughfares, torched government buildings, police cars and public transportation, and ransacked military bases.
The administration sent out the military after over 2,000 people were jailed and at least eight were slain. Local media said that during his trial, Khan claimed that he was manhandled and assaulted with a stick during his detention.
Thursday was rather peaceful, with only a few isolated demonstrations.
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