In a continuation of the government’s crackdown on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, senior PTI leader Shehryar Afridi was arrested by the police in the early hours of Tuesday. The authorities have been targeting PTI leadership following the violent protests on May 9, triggered by the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case at the Islamabad High Court.
Sources report that Shehryar Afridi, a former PTI minister, was apprehended under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) from Sector F-8 in Islamabad. This arrest adds to the growing list of PTI leaders who have faced detention in recent days.
In another incident, former Punjab provincial minister Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chohan was also arrested by the police from Murree Road in Rawalpindi. A case was registered against Chohan on May 9 at the Sadiqabad police station, accusing him of arson and incitement during the protests. Chohan was granted pre-arrest bail by the Anti-Terrorism Court until May 18.
The crackdown on PTI leaders has seen the detention of prominent figures such as Asad Umar, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhary, Ejaz Chaudhary, Ali Mohammad Khan, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, and Omar Sarfaraz Cheema. However, Imran Khan’s arrest was later deemed “illegal” by the Supreme Court, leading to his release after two days. Nonetheless, the authorities have continued their actions against PTI politicians, including women leaders like Dr. Shireen Mazari, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, and Maleeka Bukhari.
Meanwhile, in Sindh, the provincial government declared the house of former PTI minister Ali Zaidi as a sub-jail. This decision was made during a meeting to review the law and order situation, following Zaidi’s arrest on May 9 in Karachi’s Baloch Colony area. Zaidi’s family filed a petition against his detention with the Sindh High Court.
The ongoing arrests and detention of PTI leaders have raised concerns about the political climate and freedom of expression in the country. The PTI party and its supporters have condemned these actions, labeling them as politically motivated and an attempt to suppress opposition voices.
As the situation unfolds, the public will be closely monitoring the developments and awaiting further updates on the cases against the arrested PTI leaders. The government’s actions have drawn attention to the balance between maintaining law and order and ensuring democratic freedoms and rights.