He was arrested after a magistrate registered a case against him on charges of inciting the public against state institutions.

The first information report (FIR) was lodged at the Ramna police station under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups, etc) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The complaint, Magistrate Owais Khan, said that the retired general in an interview on BOL TV show ‘Imran Khan Bol Kay Saath’ aired on Saturday (Feb 25) passed statements that “incited the government officials and opposition from performing their government and legal duties”.

PTI chief Imran Khan condemned the arrest and claimed that the development showed democracy and freedom were “destroyed in Pakistan” to save the “regime change conspiracy’s fascist order of cabal of crooks propped by handlers”.

“It is time for every Pakistani to stand up for Haqeeqi Azadi & save Pak from the abyss,” he said in a tweet.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the arrest would further create “hatred”. He demanded that the defence analyst be immediately released.

Former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar described the report against Shoaib as “ridiculous”.

“Have states ever been weakened through words? He disagreed with many of his views, but this attitude is reprehensible,” he added.