Qambar police take Swati into custody

The Qambar district police has taken Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati into custody.

The PTI Sindh leadership on Saturday alleged that the Sindh government transported Swati to Sukkur from Quetta at around 12:30pm. It also alleged that the Sindh police - on the orders of the provincial government - "kidnapped" the senior politician.

Scores of supporters of the PTI reached separate courts in different districts of the upper region of the province to show support to the detained leader.

"Swati was not presented in any court today (Saturday)," Haleem Adil Sheikh, the opposition leader in Sindh Assembly, said.

A protest against the arrest was also staged in Qambar city, condemning Swati's "abduction".

Sources said that Swati was taken by the police into custody from the Sukkur airport while the police despite many attempts did not confirm that he was arrested by the Qambar district police.

Sheikh criticised the Sindh police, saying: "This police cannot face dakoits in Kacha and streets criminals in Karachi but can easily arrest a senior politician."

He said that the top police officials were not confirming the whereabouts of Swati despite many attempts by the PTI leadership.

"They [police] don't have petrol for the mobile but can arrange a helicopter to transport the PTI leader from one place to another. It is an injustice to arrest a 75-year-old senator in a fake case," Sheikh said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2022.