ISLAMABAD – The lower of house of Parliament saw chaotic scenes late Monday when top brass of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was arrested.
Days after the incident, Sergeant-at-Arms of Pakistan’s National Assembly, Ashfaq Ashraf, along with four other security personnel were suspended for violations of parliamentary premises.
The arrests of opposition lawmakers were made after Imran Khan’s party held a massive public rally in capital. NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq suspended officials for four months due to lapses in security duties. The other suspended staff include Security Assistant Waqas Ahmed and Junior Security Assistants Ubaidullah, Waheed Safdar, and Muhammad Haroon.
Political parties including PPP, JUI, and MQM-Pakistan called out late-night police raid on the assembly, calling attack on parliamentary integrity.
Opposition leader Omar Ayub also demanded accountability from the heads of the agencies involved, condemning the forced detentions and asserting that such actions are unacceptable in a democratic setting.
The controversy began when police entered the parliament and arrested several prominent PTI leaders, including Sahibzada Hamid Raza of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). This followed PTI’s rally in the capital and was perceived as a reaction to their non-compliance with newly enacted laws.
Sources indicate that the National Assembly’s lights were turned off prior to the entry of plainclothes officers, leading to the arrest of PTI leaders Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, and Advocate Shoaib Shaheen outside the parliament. Additionally, two security guards stationed outside the Parliament Service Centre were also detained.
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