Arrested PTI women leaders complain of being oppressed

Women leaders and workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) arrested in the aftermath of the May 9 riots have complained that they are being oppressed and not allowed to meet their families.

The former ruling party’s leaders Sanam Javed, Aliya Hamza, Tayyaba Raja and Khadija Shah were presented before judge Abhar Gul of a special anti-terrorism court.

Expressing their annoyance, they said that they were being treated harshly in custody and were not allowed to meet their family members.

“[Last] night, five women came and checked us,” one of them said. “We have been kept in prison for 25 days. What else do they (authorities) want? We will not bear any more.”

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They demanded that they should be allowed to meet their lawyers, saying they were not “thieves or dacoits”.

Aliya lamented that usually there were discussions about contempt of court and Parliament, but no one speaks about the respect of women.

Sanam regretted that press conferences were being held in their names but they were not permitted to speak. “Is this justice?” she questioned.

Meanwhile, police arrested former PTI MPA Farhat Farooq for allegedly inciting the mob to attack the Jinnah House and other sensitive installations on May 9.

Police also took a youngster into custody who took a selfie with a man accused of wearing the Lahore Corps Commander’s uniform on the day.

On May 9, violent protests broke out across the country after PTI Chairman and former premier Imran Khan was arrested by paramilitary Rangers from the Islamabad High Court on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the National Crime Agency £190 million scandal.