Police have taken Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNA Adil Bazai into custody, bringing the number of the party’s assembly members detained in Islamabad to six, according to police and other sources.
The other detained lawmakers include Senator Saifullah Niazi and MNAs Sanaullah Masti Khel, Mian Ahsan Jamal Khan, Dawar Kundi and Ghaus Muhammad. Sources said the lawmakers were being held under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance and had been shifted to Jhelum Jail.
The detentions come ahead of PTI’s planned Sept 27 protest and march towards Islamabad. The party has said it will proceed with the demonstration, while authorities have stepped up security measures in the capital.
Separately, PTI AJK senior vice-president Khawaja Farooq was also reported to have been taken into custody during police action in Muzaffarabad, along with other party workers.
Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court has taken up petitions challenging the 30-day detention of former prime minister Imran Khan’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi — under the Punjab MPO law. The petition, filed by Aleema’s son Shahraiz Khan, seeks the cancellation of the detention orders and the women’s release.
The detentions of Uzma and Noreen followed Aleema’s detention on Sept 20. Lahore’s deputy commissioner had ordered the three women’s preventive detention for 30 days under the MPO, citing public-order concerns.
