PTI bigwigs Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry arrested

Shah Mehmood Qureshi denies claims of his arrest

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – A day after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, party’s general secretary Asad Umar and senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry were also taken into custody on Wednesday.

As Mr Chaudhry came out of the SC, where he had been residing to evade arrest, he was taken into custody.

Talking to the media, he said it was happening for the first time in Pakistan that a SC lawyer had been arrested on SC premises. “What has been unforeseen, is happening now”, he added. Bar associations had, he said, reduced the power of lawyers in their personal feud.

All the sections of the society were facing challenges now, he said.

He said when he came to the IHC, Mr Khan was arrested on the premises of the IHC. “Mr Khan was tortured and his head was wounded,” he added. I appealed to the IHC CJ, he said, he entertained it and passed a worthless order.

He went on to say that the PTI aslo raised the issue before the SC but the case was not fixed for hearing. “Now SC have been evacuated and I have been asked to surrender,” he added.

He said problems could solved through dialogue in politics. “We need to cool down the heat raised by Mr Khan’s arrest,” he added. An organised attempt had been made to create division between the army and the PTI, he said.

Earlier, it was reported that PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi was arrested from the Red Zone in Islamabad. But Shah Mehmood Qureshi via twitter denied rumours of his arrest and said that this was a strtegy of governmen to spread misinformation to break the spirit of party and its supporters.

— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) May 10, 2023

As for Asad's arrest, he had been arrested when he was about to leave for the SC to challenge the IHC decision on Imran Khan’s arrest along with Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Asad was whisked away by the Anti-Terror Squad.

The former finance minister was in the IHC to file a petition to seek a meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan. It is not clear on what charges Asad has been arrested.

 According to eyewitnesses, the PTI lawyers resisted police to prevent Asad’s arrest, but the law enforcers overpowered them and took him away. 

Two cases have been registered against him and other PTI leaders following the protests that ensued after Imran's arrest. The cases were registered in Islamabad's Tarnol and Aabpara police stations. 

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Niazi and Ghulam Sarwar Khan were also with Asad Umar when the CTD men swooped on him. All three leaders returned to the IHC's Bar Room after Asad was held by police. 

Police also tried to arrest Mr Qureshi, however, the lawyers and other party workers thwarted the police bid.

PTI leader Shireen Mazari condemned the arrest of Asad Umar on her Twitter handle. She tweeted: "Seems like the IHC area has become a fertile ground to illegally arrest PTI leaders".