Top leaders of the former imprisoned Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan were detained by Pakistani police on Monday outside Parliament House following a session of the National Assembly, as reported by media outlets.
According to Dawn newspaper, Islamabad police spokesperson Jawad Taqi stated that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party leaders Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, and Advocate Shoaib Shaheen were arrested.
The PTI, in a statement on X, criticised the arrest of Marwat, asserting that the action by the PMLN government reflects a direct assault on democracy. They accused the Islamabad police of executing unlawful orders and demanded intervention from the Inspector General of Police to halt such actions.
Marwat’s arrest was reportedly based on violations of the new Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024, with sources from Geo News mentioning alleged clashes with police personnel the previous day.
In another statement on X, PTI condemned Barrister Gohar’s arrest as “illegal,” describing it as a grave disrespect to parliament and an indication of Pakistan’s worsening democratic situation.
Meanwhile, a post on X attributed to Marwat denounced his arrest as a reflection of the state’s fear of Imran Khan and his supporters, emphasising that his advocacy was for democracy, Pakistani freedoms, and the rule of law, rather than criminality.
Opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan condemned the arrests, alleging that Islamabad Police had formed teams to detain him, PTI leader Zartaj Gul Wazir, and others, characterizing the regime as fascist and its actions as driven by paranoia.
Imran Khan, the 71-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician, has been embroiled in multiple legal cases and spent nearly a year in prison following a conviction in a corruption case related to the Toshakhana.
Amidst the arrests, PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari criticised the government’s tactics, insisting that such actions would only heighten public discontent without effecting substantive change.
Sources indicated that additional PTI leaders, including Hammad Azhar, Kanwal Shauzab, Naeem Haider Panjutha, Amir Mughal, and Khalid Khursheed, are also likely to face arrest.
