Islamabad Police on Monday arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Information Secretary Raoof Hasan from the party’s Central Secretariat for heading a digital media cell allegedly involved in running propaganda against Pakistan and its integrity.
After reports pertaining to the arrest of the PTI spokesperson and Chairman Gohar Khan surfaced, the capital’s police clarified that they only arrested Hasan during a raid “on the basis of evidence”.
“The PTI digital media centre had become a centre of international disinformation, from where anti-Pakistan propaganda is run throughout the world,” said police.
Meanwhile, Gohar said he went along with Hasan to the Police Lines, however, the police said since the PTI chairman was not wanted in any case, he could leave. He said Hasan was detained in the Police Lines.
Police said those directly involved in the anti-national propaganda were arrested and all the evidence from the PTI’s digital media cell was taken into custody.
The party, in a statement on X, said: “It’s absolutely shameful how Islamabad Police continues to completely mock and disregard every law in this country. Law of the jungle is reigning over Pakistan!”
PTI said police took a computer and some other equipment into custody as well from the party secretariat.
Footage shared by the party on X shows numerous police vehicles and some police officials outside its secretariat.
Police sources denied the report of the arrest of four women as well as the confiscation of a laptop and documents from the office.
Condemning the raid at the former ruling party’s central secretariat, PTI leader Khurrum Sher Zaman claimed the arrest was made on instructions of the “Form-47 government”.
“We’ve been informed that they’ve locked staff in a room & waiting for prison van to arrive & have taken computers & important documents,” he wrote on X.
Adviser to Chief Minister on Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said the arrest of PTI leaders proved that the “government was taking its last breaths”.
The federal government had broken all records of fascism and had even resorted to underhanded tactics, he said, adding that they were not scared of them.
