Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub and other Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders were released after brief detention outside Adiala Jail on Tuesday, South Punjab News reported.
The politicians had been arrested for violating Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Earlier, the PTI said on X (formerly Twitter) that its leaders Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Asad Qaiser, Ahmed Bhachar, and Sahibzada Hamid Raza were arrested “for simply exercising their right to meet with Imran Khan, as permitted by law”.“Absolutely shameful! Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Asad Qaiser, Ahmed Bhachar, Sahibzada Hamid Raza have been arrested outside Adiala Jail, for simply exercising their right to meet with Imran Khan, as permitted by law,” the PTI said in a post on X.
“This should alarm anyone who values the rule of law, as it shows how basic freedoms are being trampled upon,” it added.
Those the PTI said were arrested included Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz, opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate, respectively.
Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Malik Ahmed Bhachar and ally Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza were also among those arrested, it said.
A video shared by the PTI showed Ayub being seated in the backseat of a white Toyota Corolla vehicle amid high security, while Raza was also being pulled away by uniformed personnel. A police van could also be seen parked on the road’s opposite side.
In another post on X, the PTI said the arrests highlighted the “PML-N government’s blatant misuse of power”, saying it was aimed at “silencing PTI leaders and anyone standing with Imran Khan”.
Calling it an “assault on political freedoms”, the party called on the public to “peacefully protest”.
A post on Qaiser’s X account said former MNA Aliya Hamza Malik was also among those taken into custody. It claimed that the party leaders were “being arrested after being forced out of their vehicles”.
In a post on X, PTI wrote: "Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Asad Qaiser, Ahmed Bhachar, Sahibzada Hamid Raza have been arrested outside Adiala Jail, for simply exercising their right to meet with Imran Khan, as permitted by law.”
PTI leadership frequently meet with Imran Khan in prison to plan and coordinate their political activities. The SIC, led by Raza, is a key ally of PTI, and currently, PTI lawmakers are also listed as SIC members in the parliament.
Aliya Hamza Malik, another member of the delegation, was present at the meeting but was not arrested. According to sources, she was standing at a distance from the other leaders and was not involved in the immediate incident.
