ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Friday condemned the arrest of its senior leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, who was reportedly detained at his residence in Islamabad’s Bani Gala neighborhood.
Geo News said that Qaiser, a close aide to Khan, was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establishment on charges of graft related to the procurement of medical equipment for a college in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi city.
The PTI has faced an intense crackdown since May 9, when Khan’s arrest in a corruption case prompted his supporters to protest violently.
In a statement, the PTI announced its intention to challenge Qaiser’s detention in court
“PTI spokesperson termed the detention of Asad Qaiser immediately after the announcement of the date for the forthcoming general elections as a shameful attempt to sabotage and affect the transparency and fairness of the elections,” the statement said as it referred to the election commission’s formal announcement earlier in the day to hold the national polls on February 8.
The party criticized the Election Commission of Pakistan, questioning its ability to conduct impartial elections and asserted that the continuous arrests of PTI leaders were part of a scheme to exclude the party from the electoral contest.
Following the events of May 9, several high-profile PTI leaders announced to quit the party after being arrested by the authorities. Some even decided to leave politics altogether.
Khan, who was sentenced to three years imprisonment, remains in detention after being convicted by a local court on corruption charges.
While the Islamabad High Court suspended his sentence, further charges related to the disclosure of a sensitive diplomatic communication have kept him incarcerated.
The PTI decries these developments as a political maneuver to suppress their electoral prospects.
