ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s police on Monday arrested a former army general on allegations of engagement in “hate speech” and provoking government employees against the administration, a police report read, drawing condemnation from former prime minister Imran Khan’s party.
Lieutenant General (retired) Amjad Shoaib was arrested from his residence by the Islamabad police under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Shoaib is accused of provoking state employees during a television talk show last week in which he suggested Khan, who has long been agitating against the government, to “work out his strategy” as the ex-premier’s ‘fill prisons’ campaign was not achieving the desired results.
The retired army man said Khan should ask government employees to stop showing up at work, which according to him would force the government to think whether it was actually governing the country or not.
“Through this statement and analysis, General (retired) Amjad Shoaib provoked government employees and the opposition to stop discharging their official and legal duties,” the police report read.
“He meant to stir hate among government employees, and incite [them] to violence against the government in order to create chaos in the country.”
The police said the retired general made the statement as part of a “planned conspiracy and strategy.”
Shoaib, who regularly features on Pakistani political talk shows, is seen by many in the South Asian country as a pro-Khan political analyst.
Fawad Chaudhry, a close Khan aide, said the arrest of the former army general set a wrong tradition.
“Amjad Shoaib must be released immediately,” he said in a statement. “The country is engulfed in serious crises; do not create more.”
Khan, who was ousted in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April last year, has been struggling to force the government into announcing nationwide snap polls, which are due by October this year.
In order to achieve this goal, the former premier dissolved two provincial legislatures in January that were ruled by his party and allied. In his latest attempt to mount pressure on the government, Khan announced the ‘fill prisons’ movement this month.
But the ruling coalition led by PM Shehbaz Sharif seems unfazed by Khan’s attempts and has announced maintained that polls will be held as per schedule.