Sindh police arrest senior PTI leader Ali Zaidi

Former minister was arrested from party’s Sindh office in Karachi, says Farrukh Habib

Senior PTI leader Ali Zaidi was arrested by the Sindh Police on Saturday, according to Farrukh Habib, the party's Central Information Secretary.

Zaidi, who is the president of the party's Sindh chapter, was reportedly arrested from the PTI office in Karachi.

PTI سندھ آفس سے پارٹی کے صوبائی صدر علی حیدر زیدی سندھ پولیس نے گرفتار کرلیا ہے

— Farrukh Habib (@FarrukhHabibISF) April 15, 2023

The arrest of Zaidi has been criticised by PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari, who called the move a futile attempt to revive dying politics of the ruling coalition.

Read more: PTI’s Gandapur turns himself in to police

Bukhari further added that the government was demonstrating extreme arrogance in what he referred to as the last days of the "shameless imported government."

سندھ پولیس کے ذریعے علی حیدر زیدی کی گرفتاری سے یہ فسطائی حکومت کونسا تیر مار لے گی ؟ انکو ابھی تک یہ سمجھ نہیں آ سکی کہ مرتی ہوئی سیاست کو ان ہتھکنڈوں سے زندہ نہیں نہیں کیا جا سکتا ۔ بے شرم امپورٹڈ حکومت جاتے جاتے بھی ڈھٹائی کا مظاہرہ کر رہی ہے ۔ علی زیدی کی گرفتاری کی شدید مذمت… pic.twitter.com/nySjVm9tae

— Sayed Z Bukhari (@sayedzbukhari) April 15, 2023

Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan strongly denounced the arrest, describing it part of "London plan where former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was given assurances that PTI would be crushed".

Strongly condemn arrest of another of our senior leaders, Ali Zaidi from Karachi. All part of the London Plan where Nawaz given assurances PTI would be crushed. Over 3000 PTI workers arrested, abducted, terrorised. Ali Amin & now Ali Zaidi abducted. A new plan underway for more

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 15, 2023

"Over 3,000 PTI workers arrested, abducted, terrorised. Ali Amin & now Ali Zaidi abducted. A new plan underway for more," he added.

Imran feared that police may raid his Zaman Park residence in Lahore after 27 Ramazan or over Eidul Fitr.

illegal police plus action in Zaman Park after 27 Ramazan or over Eid. They think this will weaken us in case elections are held. Let me state categorically this will not work. People's anger only increasing & they will see the blowback of this nefarious London Plan in elections.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 15, 2023

"They think this will weaken us in case elections are held. Let me state categorically this will not work. People's anger [is] only increasing and they will see the blowback of this nefarious London Plan in elections," he further said.

Zaidi is the latest PTI leader to be arrested by law enforcement agencies, with several other heavyweights from the former ruling party also being arrested.

Earlier this month, PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur was arrested outside the court premises in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Dera Ismail Khan district.

Gandapur voluntarily surrendered to the police outside the Peshawar High Court, DI Khan bench, where he was seeking bail in various cases, including terrorism charges. Speaking to the media before his arrest, Gandapur denied knowledge of any FIRs and claimed that he was being arrested without reason.

Shahbaz Gill and Azam Swati, who are also PTI members, have been arrested previously, but they were later released on bail.

PTI leader and former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, taking to Twitter, also lashed out at the government over the arrest, claiming that Zaidi was "abducted" without any warrant.

Another PTI leader, Ali Zaidi, President Sindh, abducted without any warrant from PTI office in Karachi. Notice the plainclothes men leading the arrest. Condemnable & illegal. pic.twitter.com/0QzEOgrKRi

— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) April 15, 2023

"Notice the plainclothes men leading the arrest. Condemnable & illegal," she added.

Omar Ayub Khan, PTI Additional General Secretary, also condemned Zaidi's arrest.

Strongly condemn the arrest of Ali Zaidhi PTI President Sind. This reign of terror cannot continue. The courts have to bring an end to this madness. Pakistan has been put into a complete tail spin by this Imported Govt. @PTIofficial

— Omar Ayub Khan (@OmarAyubKhan) April 15, 2023

"This reign of terror cannot continue. The courts have to bring an end to this madness. Pakistan has been put into a complete tailspin by this Imported Govt," he wrote on his Twitter handle.

More to follow...