Pakistani police continue to crack down on, arrest PTI leaders

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 May 2023 15:41

Senior PTI officials, Shehryar Afridi and Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan, were detained on Tuesday in relation to the nationwide demonstrations that broke out last week.

Women take part in a protest march in Lahore, Pakistan, on International Women’s Day despite a ban on demonstrations. (AFP)

The crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposition party shows no sign of let-up as senior officials, Shehryar Afridi and Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan, were detained on Tuesday in relation to the nationwide demonstrations that broke out last week, Pakistani broadcaster ARY News reported, citing the police.

Afridi was detained in Islamabad under the law on the maintenance of public order, as per media reports. He had previously served as the country's minister of states and frontier regions, as well as the head of the Narcotics Control Ministry.

Concurrently, the arrest of Khan's media advisor Chohan took place in the Pakistani province of Punjab, as per ARY News.

This comes as nearly 1,000 people have been detained in Punjab since protests broke out following the arrest of former Prime Minister and opposition leader Imran Khan.

On his account, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif claimed that the authorities had set no plans to ban the PTI, but they would adopt emergency measures against "all law violators," the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

Asif also stated that the PTI's former administration will be investigated for potential corruption, and he expressed sorrow that Khan had not personally denounced the demonstrations.

The Islamabad High Court freed on bail Khan on May 12, after his "unlawful" arrest on corruption accusations this week provoked massive protests.

Khan was also granted bail in other ongoing matters. He was due to appear in court today shortly after the Supreme Court nullified the arrest and ordered his immediate release.

The former Premier's arrest followed months of political crisis and came hours after the powerful military criticized the former PM for accusing a senior officer of being involved in a plot to assassinate him.

Footage shows the former #Pakistani prime minister #ImranKhan being arrested from outside the #Islamabad High Court over corruption allegations.

The Rangers had broken windows at the court to reach Khan in order to arrest him.

"There is no case on me. They want to put me in… pic.twitter.com/KZZ6zepvuI
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 9, 2023

Thousands of his supporters took to the streets in protest of his arrest and were met with a brutal police crackdown, resulting in the death of a few of them.

Khan told AFP from the court building that the "head of the country's largest party was abducted, kidnapped from the high court, and in front of the entire nation."

"They treated me like a terrorist, this had to have a reaction."