PTI accuses Hamza Shehbaz of 'abducting' four party MPAs

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) knocked at the doors of the Lahore High Court seeking directions to the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore to recover four of its MPAs from the "illegal custody" of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz, a nominee for Punjab chief minister.

Petitioner Muhammad Sibtain Khan, an MPA from the PP-88 constituency, filed a habeas corpus petition with the court contending their government was wrapped up in the federation following a conspiracy hatched against them on foreign land.

He implored the court that in Punjab, the contest for the CM’s slot was scheduled to be held on April 3 but owing to the PMLN-PTI scuffle, the House was adjourned till April 6.

Khan added that as the PTI members came out of the assembly, they came to know that four of the party's MPAs namely Uzma Kardar, Sajida Yousaf, Ayesha Chaudhry (women seats) and Ijaz Ogastan (minority seat) had been kidnapped by Hamza Shehbaz. "It was not only witnessed by their colleagues but the general public as well."

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He went on to say that the detainees had been kept illegally in a local hotel and that they were being offered incentives, gratification as well as being harassed to vote against the party on whose ticket they were earlier elected.

"The life and liberty of the detainees have been compromised and there is apprehension they shall be maltreated if not free from the clutches of the respondent," he maintained.

The petitioner prayed to the court to direct the CCPO Lahore to recover the 'detainees' so they be set free.

Nearly a week ago, the Election Commission decided to start the delimitation exercise of all National Assembly and provincial assembly constituencies on the basis of the 2017 census and population statistics.

The decision came after a unanimous ruling from the Supreme Court, which set aside National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling to dismiss the no-trust resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan and the subsequent dissolution of the lower house of parliament by President Arif Alvi on the premier’s advice