A PTI official claimed on Tuesday that a total of 11 MNAs, in addition to another party leader, had been arrested since last night, when law enforcement agencies whisked away key leaders from various parts of Islamabad, including the Parliament House.
The PTI, after initially claiming that a dozen of its leaders had been arrested in raids since Monday night, later revised the figure of arrested MNAs down to six.
In a separate development, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Tuesday reached Peshawar after being “unreachable” by his fellow party member for hours.
On Monday night — a day after the PTI held its Sangjani power show — law enforcement agencies swooped in on the party’s top leadership, arresting at least three key members from different areas of the federal capital, while forcing others to take shelter in the Parliament House.
By 11pm on Monday, there were confirmed reports about the arrest of PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, firebrand leader Sher Afzal Marwat, Waziristan MNA Zubair Khan and lawyer Shoaib Shaheen.
Gohar and Marwat were taken into custody separately outside the Parliament House by a large number of personnel as police bundled them into vehicles as soon as they exited the assembly building after Monday’s session.
Shaheen was detained from his office in G-9 in an apparent surprise raid, as seen in footage of the arrest. His staff at the office tried to put up resistance, but they were also taken into custody by almost a dozen police and plainclothesmen.
In a statement today, Imran’s advisor on international media Zulfi Bukhari said a total of 11 lawmakers had been arrested — namely Gohar, Marwat, Chief Whip in NA Malik Amir Dogar, Sheikh Waqas Akram, Bannu lawmaker Nasim Ali Shah and Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s son Zain.
It added that Ahmed Chatha, Awais Haider Jakhar, Syed Shah Ahad Ali Shah, Yousuf Khattak, Zubair Khan and Lateef Chitrali were also arrested.
Gohar was released later in the day.
Bokhari further said that Shandana Gulzar, Abdul Latif, Hameed Hussain, Shafqat Awan, Ali Muhammad Khan were present inside in the NA and had not been arrested.
PTI leaders Zartaj Gul, Omar Ayub and Seemabia Tahir are also wanted by police, but fearing arrest some of them had taken shelter inside the Parliament House.
Police officials had said they would try to round up the PTI leadership booked in various cases by Tuesday morning and the residences and offices of these leaders were being closely monitored for the purpose.
According to a parliamentary rule, police have to inform the National Assembly speaker before arresting any MNA, but the law enforcers did not seek permission from the custodian of the house before arresting the MNAs.
PTI leaders, 60 others booked in terrorism case over Sangjani clashes
Police officials had told Dawn that at least three cases were registered against PTI supporters and leaders at Sangjani and Noon police stations following Sunday’s rally.
One of the cases at the Noon police station booked “60-70 unidentified persons” along with PTI Islamabad president Aamer Mughal, MNA Zubair and Shaheen in a terrorism case over “attacking and injuring policemen”, it emerged today.
The first information report (FIR), a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, had been registered on Sunday night on the complaint of Additional Sub-inspector Tansar Iqbal.
It invoked sections 324 (attempt to commit qatl-i-amd), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint), 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt) 395 (dacoity), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence) and 109 (punishment of abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code and section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
According to the FIR, a mob of 60-70 people “armed with canes, sharp stones, iron rods and with PTI flags in their hands” was led by Zubair and blocked the Tarnol Bridge.
It added that upon inquiring from the mob, they said they had orders from Shaheen and Mughal to block the road and force the police to leave the spot.
The mob attacked the police with canes and stones, injuring six cops, who were now undergoing treatment at a hospital, the FIR said. It added that the mob also stole anti-riot gear from four policemen and broke the windows of a government vehicle.
The FIR stated that while the mob dispersed when the police deployed “ordinary teargas”, three persons were identified who were “close to Aamer Mughal” — namely Saud Iftikhar, Mohammad Arif and Mohammad Atif Gulzar.
The complaint asserted that the mob’s aim was to “achieve its political aim by spreading fear and terror among the public and the law enforcement agencies”.
Omar Ayub writes to NA speaker over ‘despicable’ arrests
In a letter addressed to NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Opposition Leader Omar Ayub termed the arrests of Gohar and Marwat “just outside parliament” as “despicable”.
“It does not bode well for democracy or parliament,” the PTI MNA wrote.
Asserting that the Islamabad police had “framed fictitious charges” against the party leaders, Ayub expressed the confidence that they would soon be “thrown out in court”.
Ayub said: “The wheel of time turns very rapidly, and it is becoming increasingly vicious. I do not see a good ending for this regime, and it appears that the current leadership will be dragged from the scruff of their necks and evicted in the coming months.
“It will be these very intelligence agencies people who will be dragging them out,” the PTI leader added.
“I am writing this so that you can save it and tell me that I was right when the events unfold as I have written. I ask for nothing and expect nothing,” Ayub concluded.
KP CM Gandapur returns to Peshawar
Separately, KP CM Gandapur on Tuesday returned to Peshawar from Islamabad after PTI leaders expressed the apprehension o fhis arrest as they were “not able to contact him for hours”.
After a contentious address at the Sunday rally, which prompted condemnations from PML-N leaders and the journalist community, CM Gandapur was said to be holed up in Islamabad’s KP House.
Barrister Mohammad Saif, the KP government spokesperson, had said CM Gandapur had left for Islamabad at 3pm for “some meeting” but since then, he had not been in touch with the provincial leadership. Later, Saif told Geo News he feared that the chief minister had been taken into custody.
However, sources said that the KP CM was invited to Islamabad for a meeting.
A Dawn.com correspondent based in Peshawar confirmed that Gandapur had returned to the CM House at around 5am.
Earlier, PTI lawyer Naeem Haider Panjutha indicated that CM Gandapur had been staying at Islamabad’s KP House, claiming he had been “released”.
“Ali Amin has reached back KP House [in Islamabad] and is fine. Thank you all for raising your voice and ensuring his release,” Panjutha said in a post on X at 3:41am.
In a subsequent post, the lawyer said the KP CM would depart for Peshawar from KP House.
Previously, PTI MPA Meena Khan Afridi had said in a statement that “party leadership, [KP] cabinet members and his family members” were not able to contact Gandapur for six to seven hours.
He had warned of a “reaction” from the party if the “federal government or the decision-makers took the unconstitutional step of arresting” Gandapur.
