Several senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-E-insaf (PTI), including the head of the opposition of the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, and the sisters of the former Prime Minister imprisoned Imran Khan, were briefly detained and later released by the Rawalpindi police near Adiala prison, where the founder of the PTI is detained.
The detentions took place following a verbal confrontation at a police checkpoint after the group was denied authorization to meet Khan.
The persons held included the head of the opposition of the Punjab assembly, Ahmed Khan Bhachar, the chief of the Sunni Ittehad (sic), Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and the sisters of Khan, Aleema Khan, Uzma Khanum, and Noreen Khanum, with his cousin Qasim Khan.
Police officials have shown arrest warrants and moved the group in a prison van. “We will stop you all,” said an officer, as Ayub told journalists, “they stop the opposition chief.”
The incident took place at the Gorakhpur control point, where supporters of the PTI had gathered, chanting slogans in protest.
A week earlier, a similar confrontation had occurred outside the Adiala prison between PTI workers and the police of the police. The police later released the individuals detained near the Chakri interchange.
The federal government, on the other hand, denied imposing any restriction on meetings between Khan and its legal or political partners. PTI officials have condemned the arrests and warned of new public reactions if such measures are continuing.
