PTI’s Pervez Khattak, Asad Qaiser “illegally detained”: Imran Khan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], June 2 (ANI): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has claimed that two senior leaders of his party — Pervez Khattak and Asad Qaiser — have been illegally detained and were being forced to quit PTI for their release.

PTI spokesperson said that he was unable to reach out to them since morning, reported Geo News, a Pakistan news outlet launched in October 2002.
“Two of our senior members from the negotiations committee I had formed, Pervez Khattak and Asad Qaiser, were called for a meeting by the intelligence agencies. They have now been illegally detained in a safe house and are being forced to quit PTI for their release. In the law of jungle, might is right and the weak have no protection,” Imran Khan tweeted.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson also said that both leaders left for an unknown location at 11 in the morning to meet someone.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police also denied taking the PTI leaders into custody.

“Earlier in the day, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) fixed Qaiser’s petition – seeking the direction of authorities to restrain them from arresting the PTI leader under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Ordinance (MPO) – for hearing on Friday,” reported Geo News.

The negotiating committee set up by party chief Imran Khan to speak with the incumbent government in an effort to end the political impasse his Khan’s close advisers.

Hundreds of PTI members and leaders were detained for their alleged involvement in the riots of May 9, and a number of prominent figures. The arrested leaders included Shireen Mazari, Fawad Chaudhry, Aamir Mehmood Kiani, and others.

Meanwhile, PTI president Parvez Elahi was detained earlier on Thursday by anti-corruption authorities in Lahore outside his residence in connection with a corruption case, as per Geo News.

He was sought in connection with the theft of development funds intended for the Gujrat district totalling PKR 70 million.

The anti-corruption court judge also discarded Elahi’s bail, ruling the doctor’s certificate, which said he had been having chest trouble, as being fraudulent.

The anti-corruption spokesperson said that Elahi was apprehended while attempting to flee and also noted that he was sought in connection with numerous corruption cases, reported Geo News.