JEE News quoted sources as saying that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shehryar Afridi was arrested by the police on Tuesday morning.
Afridi’s apprehension comes amid an ongoing crackdown on the party’s leadership, activists and supporters in connection with the May 9 violent protests, which erupted into chaos following the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan on the same day.
Sources said that the former PTI minister was detained under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (3MPO) from Sector F-8, Islamabad.
In Punjab, party leader Fayyazul Hasan Chauhan was also arrested by the police from Murree Road, Liaquat Bagh.
A heavy contingent was deployed to prevent them from reaching the Rawalpindi Press Club. A case was registered against Chauhan at the Sadiqabad police station on May 9, accusing him of arson and inciting workers during the protest, police said.
Chauhan is also accused of burning and vandalizing the metro station on Sixth Road. However, the anti-terrorism court has granted pre-arrest bail to the PTI politician till May 18.
JEE News reported that police also raided Chauhan’s house last night but failed to nab him.
Both Afridi and Chauhan are among the list of PTI leaders, including Asad Umar, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, Ijaz Chaudhry, Ali Muhammad Khan, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, and Umar Sarfraz Cheema, who were all released after the violence. has been taken into custody. Following Khan’s arrest which was later declared “illegal” by the Supreme Court.
While the PTI chief was released two days after his detention, the crackdown on his party’s politicians continues and action by the authorities concerned has been slow.
The women leaders who were arrested during this arrest include Dr. Shireen Mazari, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Malika Bukhari and others.
Meanwhile, the provincial government in Sindh has declared the house of former PTI minister Ali Zaidi as a sub-jail.
A notification was issued in this regard on Monday night. Zaidi was also arrested by the law enforcement agencies on May 9 after the destruction in the Baloch Colony area.
Later, on behalf of his family, a petition was filed in the Sindh High Court against his detention. On Monday, the Sindh government, in a meeting to review the law and order situation, decided to declare Zaidi’s house as a sub-jail.
