Ex-Pakistan PM Khan aide arrested for criticizing election officials

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In the latest case brought against the opposition before elections, an advisor to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested, on Wednesday, for allegedly criticizing electoral officials, police reported.

Fawad Chaudhry, Khan's information minister, was detained in a predawn raid on his residence in Lahore, Pakistan's easternmost metropolis.

Chaudhry is indicted for having "harassed and intimidated" election commission officials and their families in televised comments on Tuesday, as per a police report shared by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

The charges, lodged in the capital Islamabad, also indicate he is being arrested under sedition legislation because he allegedly "tried to cause a hindrance in the election process of the state."

According to the police report seen by PTI, Chaudhry referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan as "clerks" who signed off on the orders of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's cabinet.

"If you are so weak then better you should pack up and go home," he said, according to police.

Chaudhry earlier told reporters, "We warn the election commission, its members and their families that, if the series of abuses against us continues, you will have to pay back."

What do you need to know?

Imran Khan resigned due to a no-confidence vote last April. Since then, Khan has been aiming for legislative elections to take place by October of next year, but a judicial body pertaining to the elections committee announced that the former PM is not qualified to participate as an upcoming candidate or run for office for the next five years. 

However, Khan's lawyer, Imran Jawhar, commented that the elections committee in Pakistan labeled Khan as being involved in corruption practices, but the lawyer assured that they will appeal that in front of the Supreme Court of Islamabad. 

This comes despite Khan's win in the by-elections when he took six out of eight seats in the National Assembly. 

Today, the country of almost 220 million people is in serious economic problems, with rampant inflation, depleted foreign exchange reserves, and stalled talks with IMF lenders.