Supporters of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), wave party flags during a rally in Islamabad, Pakistan September 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Top leaders of former jailed prime minister Imran Khan were arrested by Pakistani police on Monday (September 9, 2024) from outside Parliament House following a National Assembly session, according to media reports.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party leaders Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, and Advocate Shoaib Shaheen were arrested by Islamabad police, police spokesperson Jawad Taqi was quoted as saying by Dawn.

Also read: Pakistan at risk of parochialism, says former PM Imran Khan

Referring to Marwat’s arrest, who was reportedly the first to be taken into custody, the PTI said in a post on X that the “ PMLN government should be completely ashamed of this step against a sitting MNA.” “This must be considered a direct attack on democracy,” the post said.

The party accused the capital police of carrying out “illegal orders” and called on the inspector general (IG) of police, Islamabad to “stop this act”.

Marwat was arrested for violating regulations devised under a new law —Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024, sources told Geo News, adding that the PTI lawmaker was accused of clashing with police personnel a day earlier.

In another post on X, PTI condemned the “illegal” arrest of party chairman Barrister Gohar.

“This is a moment of shame for the entire parliament, as this must be considered a direct attack on the remaining democracy in Pakistan.

“Speaker NA should be ashamed for allowing such disrespect of parliament. Pakistan has descended further into the undeclared Martial Law,” the post said.

A statement on X from Marwat’s account said: “The state has once again proved how afraid it is of (Imran) Khan and his soldiers!” “Remember that the person they are dragging this badly is not a terrorist or murderer. His only sin is that he considers Imran Khan his mentor, raises his voice for the poor, raises his voice for Pakistan, talks about the supremacy of democracy, the freedom of Pakistanis, and the rule of law!” Omar Ayub Khan, the leader of the Opposition, condemned the arrests and alleged that Islamabad Police had formed teams to arrest him, PTI leader Zartaj Gul Wazir, and “other colleagues”.

“This fascist regime and its backers have gone completely mad,” Omar wrote in a post on X.

“Just found out that they have included my name along with Zartaj Gul sahiba and other colleagues in 2 additional FIRs. Islamabad Police teams have been made for our arrests.” He added that other PTI lawmakers were still inside Parliament House, unable to leave due to the presence of police.

“Our only crime is that we have dared to challenge the status quo and raised our voice for our beloved leader, PM Imran Khan sahib. We will continue doing so,” he added.

The 71-year-old former-cricketer-turned-politician faces a slew of legal cases and has been in prison for nearly a year after being sentenced in a graft case.

Khan was arrested on August 5 last year after his conviction in the first Toshakhana corruption case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan. Since then, he has been in jail in different cases.

PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari strongly condemned the arrests, demanding leaders be released immediately.

“Over a year now and they are still using the same tactics that have failed again and again,” he said in a statement on X.

“These illegal arrests won’t change anything. Only increase the public’s anger and hate towards this puppet government and backers.”

Sources said that alongside Omar and Zartaj, more PTI leaders, including Hammad Azhar, Kanwal Shauzab, Naeem Haider Panjutha, Amir Mughal, and Khalid Khursheed, are also expected to be arrested.

Former Pakistan PM Nawas Sharif. File photo
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will reach Pakistan in a chartered plane from Dubai on October 21, ending his four-year-long self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom, according to a media report.

The flight carrying Nawazwill have the name “Umeed-e-Pakistan” which can carry approximately 150 passengers, Geo News reported.

“The booking has been made and all arrangements are in place,” the report said. The 73-year-old three-time prime minister is expected to lead his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party in the general elections likely to be held in January next year.

Sharif, along with party members and journalists, is scheduled to leave Dubai for Pakistan on October 21. The special flight will land in Islamabad from Dubai before proceeding to Lahore, Sharif will address the gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan.

Sharif will reach Saudi Arabia for Umrah on Wednesday. He will stay in Saudi Arabia for a week during which he will hold important meetings. He will arrive in Dubai on October 18.

Sharif will be accompanied to the Saudi visit by his close aides Mian Nasir Janjua, Waqar Ahmed, his friend Karim Yousaf and a few others. Nasir Janjua, the owner of MIDJAC company, spent nearly three years in exile in London with Sharif and returned to Pakistan just a few months ago, the report added.

Earlier this year, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) former head Bashir Memon revealed that former prime minister Imran Khan and his then-principal secretary Azam Khan time and again forced him to use all legal and illegal means, including the use of torture and anti-terrorism laws, to force businessman Mian Nasir Janjua to give a false confessional statement against PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz in the judge Arshed Malik video scandal.

Memon said it was planned in the PM House that Janjua, who has been a 30-years-old trusted friend of Sharif, should be made the main culprit since he is a businessman and would be an easy target to become an approver against Maryam and senior PML-N leadership. Janjua then left Pakistan for London and didn’t return until Imran Khan was in power.

On Tuesday, PML-N Senators Ishaq Dar and Irfan Siddiqui said Sharif would leave for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

Refuting rumours pertaining to Sharif’s presence in Saudi Arabia, Irfan Siddiqui confirmed that the former prime minister is still in the United Kingdom and that the visit to Saudi Arabia is of a private nature as the ex-premier will perform Umrah.

‘Arrest unlikely’

Ishaq Dar said that there is no chance of Sharif being arrested on return to Pakistan. He said that transit bail and protective bail would be obtained from the court. “Nawaz will follow the standard legal procedures.”

He said that PML-N’s narrative would be around the economy. Dar said: “Recovery of the economy is the best revenge.” Sharif stepped down as the country’s prime minister in 2017 after he was disqualified for life from holding public office by the Supreme Court for not declaring a receivable salary. He has been living in London since 2019 after the LHC granted him four-week permission allowing him to go abroad for his treatment.

He was serving a seven-year imprisonment at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail in the Al-Azizia Mills case before he was allowed to proceed to London in 2019 on “medical grounds”.

In 2020, an accountability court declared him a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana vehicles case. He is also accused of obtaining luxury cars from the treasury house by paying just 15 per cent of the price of these vehicles.

He was convicted in the Al-Azizia Mills and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018.