ISLAMABAD: A vigorous crackdown has been continued on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders and former lawmakers with inquiries and summons from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to Punjab Anti-Corruption (ACE) and the police.
In a fresh development ahead of the party’s Minar-e-Pakistan rally on Saturday, the Punjab police arrested organisers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Minar-e-Pakistan public rally in Lahore.
The Punjab Police continued raids on the houses of PTI leaders and workers in Lahore before the Minar-e-Pakistan public gathering. Besides other second and third tiers leaders, the police arrested Malik Qaisar and Mian Nadeem, organizers of the Minar-e-Pakistan rally during these raids.
Furthermore, police detained PTI leader Shahid Hussain, who is a British citizen of Pakistani-origin and remained the focal person of the task force during Imran Khan’s government.
According to PTI leaders, the residence of Hafiz Zeeshan Rashid was also raided, and the family accused the police of ‘misbehaving’ with them during the raid. Rashid is contesting elections against Maryam Nawaz in PP-149. The residence of PTI leaders – Hamad Niazi and Bajash Niazi were also raided by Punjab police.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has also constituted a 10-member legal team for the release of party workers – who have been arrested during the ongoing raids in Islamabad and Lahore. The decision was taken during a legal committee meeting chaired by PTI senior leader Dr Yasmin Rashid.
Several PTI leaders come under ACE scrutiny
On the other hand, several PTI leaders including former MNAs – Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Farrukh Habib, Amir Dogar, former provincial education minister Murad Raas, Waris Aziz, and Ali Akhtar have come on Anti-Corruption Establishment’s radar, it was learnt on Friday.
According to details, the ACE detected a fraud in the possession of 50 acre state land in Chak 243 by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s former member of National Assembly Ghulam Bibi Bharwana. The ACE spokesperson said that Bharwana did not submit fee for the 50 acre state land in the national treasury.
He further revealed that PTI’s former federal minister Farrukh Habib has established an illegal car stand at a state land.
Gandapur escapes arrest
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Amin Gandapur escaped arrest during a police raid at his farmhouse Hathala Al-Amin Farm in Dera Ismail Khan on Friday.
The police raided the farmhouse to arrest Ali Amin Gandapur for inciting people against the state on social media and threatening to occupy Islamabad in case of PTI chairman Imran Khan’s arrest.
His brothers, Dera Ismail Khan Mayor Umar Amin Gandapur and Faisal Amin Gandapur, were present at the farmhouse during the raid.
According to official sources, Ali Amin Gandapur is on the run to avoid arrest by police, and he is constantly changing his location.
Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) issued a call-up notice to Ali Amin Gandapur for threatening the government and state institutions on social media and inciting people to armed actions.
The FIA Cybercrime Wing Dera Ismail Khan started an inquiry into the viral audio of former federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
In the audio, Gandapur threatened to occupy Islamabad in case of Imran Khan’s arrest and also incited the police to revolt. The FIA had summoned the former minister on Friday.
