Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday claimed that the Sindh Police has arrested its senior leader and former Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi.
PTI leader Farrukh Habib claimed on Twitter that the police detained Zaidi from the party’s Sindh office.
PTI سندھ آفس سے پارٹی کے صوبائی صدر علی حیدر زیدی سندھ پولیس نے گرفتار کرلیا ہے
— Farrukh Habib (@FarrukhHabibISF) April 15, 2023
Reacting strongly to the report, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said that Zaidi was arrested without any warrant.
He said that the system of oppression is unacceptable in any case.
Another PTI leader, Ali Zaidi, President Sindh, abducted without any warrant from PTI office in Karachi. Notice the plainclothes men leading the arrest. Condemnable & illegal. pic.twitter.com/0QzEOgrKRi
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) April 15, 2023
The party leadership has been embroiled in legal battles since its government was toppled by a no-confidence motion in April last year. PTI Chairman Imran Khan claims that more than 100 cases are registered against him alone.
Cases were also registered against other PTI leaders including Imran Khan’s nephew and focal person Hasan Khan Niazi, Fawad Chaudhry, Asad Umar, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Azam Khan Swati and Shahbaz Gul.
It is pertinent to mention here that Zaidi – along with other PTI leaders – is accused of allegedly vandalizing the office of Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Kemari during the recounting of local body elections in January. He was named in the terrorism case.
The case was registered after the PTI staged a protest outside the DC’s office, where Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) workers were also present. Outside the office, PTI and PPP supporters clashed.
“PTI leaders and workers ransacked the office, damaged vehicles, and took away office equipment including laptops. Three civilians were also injured in the firing amid the chaos,” the FIR said. .
On January 20, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) granted pre-arrest bail to Zaida in the terror case of vandalizing the DC office in Kemari area of the city.
