PTI leader Jamal Ansari was produced before the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday on the orders of the court. He has been arrested under the Maintenance Of Public Order (MPO) ordinance.

However, in an interesting turn of events, Islamabad High Court Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb sent him back to Adiala prison saying that the MPO 3 arrest came under the jurisdiction of Rawalpindi authorities and not under the Islamabad High Court.

Adiala jail officials took Ansari in their custody from the court.

Former MPA Saleem Akhtar Labar has announced his decision to quit the Imran Khan-led PTI on Wednesday.

More than two dozen PTI leaders have left the party since the May 9 events, and this trend continues to this day.

Saleem Akhtar Labar won from PP-212 on the PTI ticket. He was once again given the ticket from the same constituency by PTI Chairman Imran Khan for the upcoming election. However, he left the party and returned the ticket.

The former MPA while announcing the separation of PTI, condemned the May 9 events, and said that he stand with the Pakistan Army.

“I’m resigning from the primary membership of the party and returning the party ticket,” he said.

Earlier, in a major blow to Imran Khan, PTI’s senior leader Shireen Mazari announced on Tuesday that she was retiring from active politics and quitting the PTI immediately.

“I called this press conference to say two things. First, I condemn the violence that took place on May 9 and 10 and submitted an affidavit in court regarding this,” Mazari said on Tuesday at her house, flanked by her daughter, Imaan, and her lawyer.

“Secondly, I have decided to leave active politics,” she said, “I will not be a part of PTI or any other political party.”

Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif has said that the government is mulling a ban on the PTI in light of the May 9 events.

“A decision has not been taken yet, but a review is surely underway,” he told media persons in Islamabad.

He said the vandalism of military installations across the country on May 9 was “coordinated attacks” planned by PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

“There is a lot of evidence and their people are telling themselves that they were briefed about this beforehand. I feel that his [Imran] struggle of a year … all his plans failed and this was his last move against the armed forces.”

When asked if Khan’s party would be banned under the same rule like other parties were banned in the past, he replied, “This is way different.”

“The May 9 events were way different than those political motives which took place in the 1970s and 80s. They never targeted our defense institutions, they didn’t challenge the writ of the state, although, their political difference exists with the sitting government.”

“What they [PTI] did is they challenged the state, they have attacked assists of the state,” said Asif. “Four people were killed in firing in Gujranwala, ISI office was also attacked and then Sialkot they tried to enter in the Cantonment office, then they attacked the Corps Commander house.”

The defence minister said that their collation partners are on the same page that “only India can carry something out like thin but Pakistanis can’t”.

Moreover, he believes that Imran Khan sees the army as his adversary. “His entire politics was done in the lap of the army and today he has suddenly decided to stand against it.”

“They have said that everything happened with planning. In fact, they were facilitated.”

The minister said that the current situation had resulted in a “new situation”. The coalition government will take every such step to prevent others from targeting the armed forces in the future, he said.

The minister said that May 25 will be celebrated and tribute would be paid to the country’s martyrs. He said that honouring martyrs was the norm the world over.

A new audio leak surfaced on social media on Wednesday, claiming that the women leaders of the former ruling party were allegedly involved in the GHQ Rawalpindi attack.

The audio clip appears to suggest that PTI MNA on reserved seat Kanwal Shauzab directed party workers to gather at GHQ Rawalpindi.

In the audio, PTI MNA Farah says that people are heading towards Faizabad, while Maam Kanwal has urged them to gather near GHQ. Additionally, individuals named Rashid Hafeez, Shafiq, and Samawiya are present in Faizabad, with Samawiya emerging as a prominent figure.

https://www.aajenglish.tv/live/politics-may-24-2023

Police in Islamabad have raided the houses of PTI leaders Hammad Azhar, Omar Ayub Khan, and Ali Nawaz Awan overnight, the PTI said on Wednesday posting footage on social media.

Hammad Azhar claimed his father was threatened with the arrest of his daughter when police could not trace Hammad.

In the wake of the May 9 riots, the police have started arresting PTI leaders under the Maintenance of Public Order ordinance.

According to Omar Ayub’s family, he was not in the house at the time of the police raid. They claimed that police arrested three employees from the house.

Omar Ayub tweeted, “Armed Islamabad Police without a warrant raided & searched my house. “

He said the police abducted his staff and threatened to arrest his 16-year-old son who is taking his O-level exams. “This is the level this imported government is stooping to.”

On the other hand, PTI leader Hammad Azhar’s house was also raided.

The PTI party claimed in a tweet that during a raid former federal minister Hammad Azhar’s 82-year-old father was threatened and issues a warning that his daughter would be ‘whisked away’ if his son didn’t surrender to the police.

Read more: Govt places over 200 PTI leaders on no fly list

Hammad Azhar also tweeted the same claim from his personal Twitter handle.

Moreover, the police also raided Ali Nawaz Awan’s house.

The government has claimed that the PTI’s leadership backed the May 9 violent protests following former premier Imran Khan’s arrest. They have accused the central leadership of PTI of inciting the people to protest, which led to attack on state buildings.

A little over an hour after he was released from Adiala Jail, PTI Secretary General Asad said he would step down as the party’s secretary general and member of its core committee.

“In the current situation, it is not personally possible for me to continue a leadership responsibility,” he said.

However, he clarified that he would remain a part of the party. He also said he was under no pressure.

“The events of May 9 have been condemned by everyone, but I want to go into detail into why the events were harmful for the country,” he said.

“People were killed and property destroyed, but the worst part was the attack on military installations,” Asad said. “Action must be taken against everyone responsible.”

He added that it was important to release the thousands of innocent people locked up after the events of May 9.

“The army is not just made up of a few generals, it consists of hundreds of thousands of people,” he said. He added that his family had been affiliated with the armed forces for three generations.

“There are five major stakeholders in the country: the judiciary, which is divided, the army, PTI, PDM and the largest stakeholder of them all, the people of Pakistan,” he said.

“Things are looking bad for every single stakeholder,” he said, adding that the ordinary person was being crushed under inflation.

He added that the solution to the current problems of Pakistan is not possible without dialogue.

Court orders and release

Asad Umar was released from Adiala Jail on Wednesday, after the Islamabad High Court ordered his release earlier in the day.

Adiala Jail’s Superintendant Asad Warraich confirmed to Aaj News that Umar had been released. However, Umar was ushered out through a back gate away from media cameras.

The Islamabad High Court has ordered Islamabad police to release PTI Secretary General Asad Umar, Aaj News reported Wednesday.

The federal capital police arrested him under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (3MPO) last week.

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the petition against the detention of the senior PTI leader.

He remarked, ’They will not leave you until you hold a press conference.“

On this, Asad Umar’s lawyer Babar Awan said that his client will not hold a press conference.

Moreover, Justice Aurangzeb in his remarks pointed out that the PTI leader had made two tweets that should be deleted immediately.

Babar Awan argued that although this was in the news, Umar would comply with the court’s order.

The IHC Justice remarked that the cases against Asad Umar are in his court and if he gives any order, don’t know what will happen tomorrow.

Advocate Babar Awan said that he had applied for protective bail in criminal cases registered against his client. “We want you to give us two days so that if we get released, we can surrender before the concerned court.”

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb remarked that he had ordered Shah Mehmood Qureshi to submit an affidavit promising that he would not violate section 144 .

Later, the Islamabad High Court ordered the release of PTI leader Asad Umar.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has suspended the by-elections on NA-108 and NA-118, Aaj News reported Wednesday.

Justice Shahid Karim announced the reserved verdict on the petitions filed by PTI leaders Farrukh Habib and Ijaz Shah.

The polls were scheduled to be held on May 28 in both National Assembly constituencies.

Moreover, the court also issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the secretary cabinet, and the national assembly. They were made parties in the petition.

Advocate Azhar Siddique appeared before the court for arguments on behalf of the petitioners.

He had said that the by-election could not be held 120 days before the expiry of the term of the National Assembly. Moreover, the Peshawar High Court has postponed the elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The elections in NA-108 and NA-118 should also be stopped.

The ECP advocate argued that the election was stopped by making false statements in the Peshawar High Court, all preparations for the elections have been completed, and the court should dismiss the petition.

The Lahore High Court had reserved the verdict earlier in the week after hearing the arguments.