On Tuesday, several top leaders from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), along with Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, were arrested by Punjab Police outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail when they attempted to meet PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated for over a year, has been the subject of regular meetings with his party members to discuss political matters and strategize.
The arrested PTI leaders included Omar Ayub, former National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser, Shibli Faraz, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, and SIC chief Hamid Raza. The PTI leadership made a statement on X (formerly Twitter), condemning the arrests, asserting that the leaders were simply exercising their right to meet with Imran Khan, a right that is legally permitted.
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PTI officials often visit Imran Khan in prison to coordinate their political activities, and the SIC, led by Hamid Raza, is a close ally of PTI. Many PTI lawmakers are also members of the SIC in parliament, reinforcing the political alliance between the two groups.
Aliya Hamza Malik, another member of the visiting delegation, was present during the incident but was not arrested, as she was reportedly standing apart from the other leaders and was not directly involved in the incident.
