ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has claimed that party leader and former minister Farrukh Habib has been taken into custody from Gwadar.
The party made the claim in a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying one person in a police uniform along with 7-8 people in plain clothes took Habib away. The post added that no warrants were shown. T
The party expressed ‘hope’ that Habib will be presented in Lahore. According to reports, Farrukh Habib and his brother were taken into custody in Gwadar. Habib has evaded arrest so far during a crackdown on the party after the violent protests of May 9.
PTI said the most recent abduction of Farrukh Habib is a “continuation of fascist tactics deployed by the regime to force political leadership to part ways with the most popular political party”
“We condemn his unlawful abduction and demand that The Chief Justice of Supreme Court takes action against illegal abductions and suspension of rule of law in Pakistan.”
PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan confirmed that Farrukh Habib has been “abducted” by unknown people. He said the rising trend of abductions of PTI leaders is condemned in the strongest words possible.
“There is no democracy or ‘Rule of Law’ in Pakistan. Is this how the ECP will ensure a level playing field on the eve of issuing delimitations of constituencies.” “Will the election be a farce? Will a list of people deemed ‘appopriate’ be simply issued by the ECP as having been ‘elected’?”
He said Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Esa sahib should take immediate notice of these abductions and put a stop to the complete disregard and violation of the Constitution.
IMMEDIATE!! ALERT!!
1. Farrukh Habib Former Minister of State and President PTI West Punjab has been abducted by unknown people a short while ago.
2. The rising trend of abductions of PTI leaders is condemned in the strongest words possible. Leaders are abducted and then made to…— Omar Ayub Khan (@OmarAyubKhan) September 27, 2023
Just a day ago, PTI announced Farrukh Habib as its new spokesperson. According to a party notification, the senior leader has been appointed as the spokesperson for West Punjab while Rauf Hassan has been appointed as the PTI secretary information, a key role within the party.
Shoaib Shaheen, a member of the party’s legal team, has been given the responsibility of handling all legal affairs pertaining to the party and former prime minister Imran Khan.