Pakistani police have arrested a senior leader of former Prime Minister, Imran Khan’s political party on charges of threatening the Chief of the elections overseeing body and other government officials.
The arrest of Fawad Chaudhry, an outspoken detractor of the government, is a major setback for the party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, in which he serves as Vice President. The party quickly condemned the arrest and demanded his release.
In a statement, Islamabad police disclosed that Chaudhry was arrested on a complaint from the Election Commission of Pakistan on charges of threatening the head of the elections overseeing body, Sikandar Sultan Raja, and other officials.
The threats were meant to prevent them from performing their duties and incite people to violence against them, Police said.
Ex-Prime Minister, Imran Khan, also condemned the arrest, claiming on Twitter that it left no doubt that Pakistan has become a place “devoid of rule of law.” He urged followers to “stand up for our fundamental rights” to prevent the country from drifting toward “a point of no return.”
The arrest took place during a predawn raid at Chaudhry’s house in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province, Chaudhry’s family disclosed.
Shireen Mazari, a Spokesperson for Khan’s party, disclosed that Chaudhry was taken in handcuffs straight to court by police in Lahore.
Chaudhry’s wife, Hiba Fawad, voiced to reporters that security forces were rough with her husband, pushed him into a vehicle and took him away.
“There is a procedure to follow if you want to arrest someone. It cannot happen that ten or twelve people enter a house, detain someone, throw him into a vehicle and take him away without telling the family where are they taking him.”
Hiba Fawad
Footage released later by the party showed Chaudhry’s supporters gathered at the court and throwing rose petals at him as police led him toward a courtroom.
Enraged over his arrest, hundreds of Chaudhry’s supporters blocked a key highway in Jehlum, his home city in Punjab province, to demand his release.
Chaudhry’s Arrest Not Political
Information Minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed that Fawad Chaudhry’s arrest was not political and that he is not a case of “political victimization.”
“If we had any intention to make political arrests, we might have arrested Imran Khan, but we had no such intention.”
Marriyum Aurangzeb
On Tuesday, Chaudhry criticized the elections overseeing body for appointing a veteran journalist, Mohsin Naqvi, as caretaker Chief Minister in Punjab.
Khan’s party and its allies were in power in Punjab and held majority seats in the provincial assembly but dissolved the house earlier this month, a step that outwardly sought to pressure the government in Islamabad.
The dissolution of the provincial assembly set in motion sudden elections, which under the constitution are to be held within 90 days.
Khan, who remains popular with a huge grassroots following, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament last April and has been leading the opposition since.
Khan has also claimed that he was ousted in a plot by incumbent Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif and the U.S, claims they both deny.
In October, the elections commission disqualified Khan from holding public office for five years after finding he had unlawfully sold state gifts and concealed assets as premier. Khan denies the charge and has filed a motion with a court to challenge the commission.
Along with the provincial assembly in Punjab, Khan’s allies earlier this month also dissolved the legislature in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf also had majority seats.
The party has demanded early federal elections, which Sharif’s government has rejected, saying the vote will be held as scheduled later this year.
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