Awami Muslim League (AML) leader and ally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sheikh Rashid was arrested from his residence in Rawalpindi on Sunday evening, it has emerged.
Reports indicate that a group of individuals dressed in plain clothes apprehended Sheikh Rashid from his home.
Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, the AML leader’s nephew, also released a video message confirming that his uncle was arrested by the Punjab police from Bahria Town Phase III in Rawalpindi, and his current whereabouts remained unknown.
https://x.com/ShkhRasheed/status/1703432699497644181?s=20
Shafiq asserted, “Both the Islamabad and Punjab police have told the high courts in writing that Sheikh Rashid is not proclaimed in any case,” emphasizing the need for higher courts to intervene and determine Rashid’s location.
He further vowed to engage in a legal battle, emphasizing their commitment to principled politics.
In a statement posted on a social media platform, the PTI condemned Sheikh Rashid’s arrest, decrying it as “political victimization and fascism.”
https://x.com/PTIofficial/status/1703419281290006744?s=20
This arrest follows a series of crackdowns on the PTI and its supporters, stemming from incidents of vandalism on May 9 when PTI chairman Imran Khan was initially arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.
This arrest comes against a backdrop of escalating tensions, as earlier this year in June, Sheikh Rashid had alleged that the Islamabad police forcibly entered his residence and physically assaulted his servants.
