LAHORE: Former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema’s wife, Rabia Sultan, was arrested by the police on Thursday as she appeared for her husband’s hearing at an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader was presented in the court today after his judicial remand had expired. Cheema’s wife was in the ATC to meet her husband.
After the arrest, sources in the police stated that Sultan was wanted for investigation in the Jinnah House attack case. They claimed that the former governor’s wife was present at the Jinnah House on May 9.
“Geofencing showed Rabia Sultan was present at the Jinnah House on May 9,” officials privy to the investigation said. They added that the police had been in search of Sultan for quite some time.
On May 9, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was arrested from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises. Following his arrest, countrywide protests were witnessed.
Enraged by the PTI chief’s arrest, party workers and supporters allegedly pillaged government and military installations.
To contain the violence, the government called in the army and announced that the protesters would be tried under army laws.
A large number of PTI workers and leaders have been arrested in a countrywide crackdown.
Cheema was one of the few PTI leaders that were arrested following the violence and has been part of the party despite many politicians jumping ship.
Many of those leaders that jumped ship held top posts during the last PTI government. Leaders such as Fawad Chaudhry, Fayyaz ul Hasan Chohan, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Ali Zaidi, Imran Ismail, Aamer Mehmood Kiani, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, Mahmood Baqi Maulvi and Murad Raas who had left the PTI after the May 9 incident following their arrest or differences with the party have joined Jahangir Tareen-led Istihkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).
