LAHORE: An anti-corruption unit from Karachi detained Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh in Lahore, spokesperson of the Lahore police said, hours after the PTI said he was arrested by “plainclothesmen” in the wee of Wednesday from Punjab’s capital.
Lahore police spokesperson Syed Mubashir confirmed the media that Lahore police had assisted the Anti-Corruption Establishment in the arrest, adding that Haleem was in the ACE’s custody and not the Lahore police.
Earlier, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar said on Twitter that Sheikh was arrested by “plainclothesmen” in the middle of the night. “This is not even arrest. It is kidnapping. No rule of law left in the country. This situation is a test for both bar and bench, media and human rights groups,” he said.
Umar’s tweet followed multiple posts on social media by Haleem’s daughter, Ayesha Haleem, who said the incident occurred at 3:30am. She also shared video clips.
In a video statement on Twitter, Ayesha said: “I don’t know whether this is an arrest or a kidnapping, as there was no warrant. Neither his lawyers nor his family knows of his whereabouts.”
She added that Haleem had indicated multiple times, particularly during the last week, that there was a threat to his life. “He had written letters to relevant authorities, including the chief justice of Pakistan, telling them that there was a threat to his life and that he had received information that plans had been devised to take him into custody and cause him harm.”
Ayesha alleged 20 to 25 police mobile units were stationed around their residence during the last week and monitoring people, as well as Haleem’s whereabouts. She added that the mobile vans included vehicles that were part of the Chief Minister House’s security detail. Moreover, she continued, “there were individuals in civilian clothes, many of whom had criminal backgrounds”.
She alleged Haleem had been “politically victimised” by the Sindh government in the past as well as he had been “exposing” them. She recounted that he was booked under terrorism charges a month ago and the time of the offence mentioned was when Haleem was visiting a television channel for a live programme.
In a subsequent tweet, she said the Lahore police had denied arresting Haleem.
“Lahore police say … they have no idea where he is and that they do not know of any plans for his arrest,” she said. So i ask #WhereIsHaleemAdil and WHO TOOK HIM.”
Plea filed for Haleem’s recovery
Meanwhile, a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court for Haleem’s recovery by Advocate Amir Saeed Rawn.
The Punjab inspector general of police and others have been made respondents in the plea, which states that men in plainclothesmen had picked up Haleem in Lahore on Tuesday night.
Police had been approached, yet there was no update on Haleem’s whereabouts, the plea said, adding that the PTI leader had not been presented before any court until now.
The court was requested in the plea to issue directives for presenting Haleem before the LHC.
