More than 40 people associated with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, including Raoof Hasan, were “abducted” from the party’s central secretariat in Islamabad by the federal capital police on Monday, said Aon Abbas Buppi.
“Before Hasan, 18 of our social media team members who worked in the central secretariat were arrested. Moreover, police also picked up 14 women who arrived at the secretariat this morning for applications,” he said while appearing on Spotlight with Munizae Jahangir aired on Aaj TV.
“So, a total of 40 to 45 members, including men and women, have been abducted. We don’t know anything about them and the FIR in which they were named.”
Police raided Imran Khan’s party headquarters in sector G-8 area earlier in the day, sources within the party said. The federal capital police have not made a statement so far.
A heavy contingent of police arrived at the secretariat around noon and surrounded it. The contingent included women officials as well. They also sealed the road leading to the office.
According to Buppi, one of the reasons for the raid was affidavits. “Today affidavits of PTI MNAs were supposed to be submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan. They also took all of our documents and laptops containing details, numbers, and the diary numbers,” he said.
He claimed that such an action resulted from the government’s tension over the reserved seats case decision.
On July 13, a full-court SC bench awarded reserved seats comprising minority and women seats to the PTI. The bench set aside orders of the Peshawar High Court and Election Commission of Pakistan taking away reserved seats from the Sunni Ittehad Council.
The case was considered a major blow to the coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Shari as many believed the decision would end the treasury benches majority in the National Assembly.
A journalist who recorded a video of the raid had his phone confiscated by the police. The party’s handle posted a video of police outside the secretariat on its X account.
“Law of the jungle reigns supreme in Pakistan. Islamabad Police is busy in targeting PTI, while criminal activities are increasing daily!” the post said.
On January 31, the Islamabad Police sealed the PTI’s central secretariat for the first time.
Monday’s raid marked the third time that police raided the PTI’s office, according to the party.
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Khalil Tahir Sandhu, from the PML-N, said that police have to produce suspects in the court with evidence.
PPP leader Akhunzada Chattan added that the court would decide whether it was political victimisation or people were involved in crime. But he said that it could not be “denied that the PTI’s social media troll army and people.”
PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen said that the party would take legal action against the raid. “This is not suitable at any cost. This is akin to creating chaos. This government is panicking,” Shaheen said on News Insight with Amir Zia.
When asked, he said that everyone has the temperament. “If the establishment will interfere in politics, then there will be criticism.”
Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) conducted a raid on the central office of the PTI’s digital media cell in Islamabad based on evidence, sources said.
The PTI’s digital media centre housed in the office had become a “hub for international disinformation” and “digital terrorism”, sources said and claimed that anti-Pakistan propaganda was being orchestrated from this location in collaboration with hostile foreign agencies.
The location was also used to spread propaganda against Pakistan and its national integrity, they added.
Those directly involved in such activities were apprehended by LEAs along with their equipment. They stated that all evidence had been collected and were in custody.
They added the raid was conducted based on information provided by a PTI international social media activist.
