ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said on Friday its media manager, Ahmed Waqas Janjua, had returned home following 25 days of incarceration on terrorism and cybercrime charges.
Last month, the PTI announced Janjua’s “abduction” from his residence at night, saying a group of armed men forcefully took him away and seized his laptop, mobile phone and other electronic devices. Janjua was subsequently brought before an anti-terrorism court where the investigation officer said police had recovered explosive material from him during his arrest.
Janjua also faced charges under the country’s cybercrime law and reportedly said during the investigation that the PTI social media team was building an “anti-state narrative” with the help of internal and external forces.
His party, however, called it a “fake confession,” asserting it was unclear how the statement was extracted and pointing out it would not be admissible in a court of law.
“Ahmed Janjua is back,” the PTI said in a social media post. “PTI’s central media department member & international media coordinator @AhmedWJanjua was abducted & disappeared.”
“After court intervened, he was presented in court & falsely charged with a case of terrorism,” it added. “The court granted bail, but authorities refused to release him. Finally, after remaining illegally incarcerated for 25 days, Ahmed Janjua returns home.”
The PTI says the government has been making legal cases against its leaders and members as part of a state-backed crackdown, which includes bans on holding rallies and arrests of party leaders and supporters.
However, the government denies persecuting opposition parties.
PTI founding leader and ex-PM Khan himself has been in jail for over a year, though all four convictions handed down to him ahead of a parliamentary election in February have either been suspended or overturned but he remains in jail on new charges.
Khan says all legal cases against him are motivated to keep him out of politics and dent the popularity of the PTI.
