SIC’s Sahibzada Hamid Raza arrested amid crackdown on top PTI leadership

Police stormed the parliament on Tuesday, arresting several prominent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including Sahibzada Hamid Raza, head of Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

A day after PTI ventured into a legal minefield to stage its rally in the capital, the government wasted no time on Monday to arrest its leaders for flouting the last-gasp laws hastily enacted ahead of the highly anticipated event – widely seen as a test of embattled party's political muscle.

Sources revealed that the lights inside the National Assembly (NA) were turned off before officers in plain clothes entered the building.

The arrests started rolling in, with Islamabad police arresting PTI leaders Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, and Advocate Shoaib Shaheen outside the parliament.

Masked officers reportedly took Hamid Raza into custody from inside the parliament building.

In addition to the political leaders, two security personnel stationed outside the Parliament Service Centre were also detained.

Confirming the arrests, Islamabad police spokesperson Jawad Taqi said more detentions were on the horizon as PTI's Omar Ayub Khan and Zartaj Gul Wazir were also in the crosshairs.

Further, Omar Ayub Khan alleged on X that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was being held "incommunicado by the federal government/establishment after being invited for a cup of tea."

He claimed Gandapur's security staff was untraceable, and their phones were off. "This is the state of affairs in Pakistan today," he lamented, criticising the arrest of PTI leaders and alleging that the arrests were a reaction to their peaceful protest on September 8.

Separately, it was reported that K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had arrived at K-P House, with PTI lawyer Naeem Panjutha stating that they would depart for Peshawar shortly.

This comes as police registered three cases against the organisers of a recent PTI rally, including violations for failing to conclude the event on time, breaching designated routes, and attacking SSP Safe City and other officers.

Cases were filed against PTI leaders at three police stations in Islamabad for violating rally regulations, route deviations, and clashes at Chungi No. 26.

Sources indicate that Sher Afzal Marwat was arrested due to legal violations committed during the rally.

The violations include disrupting the agreed route, breaching commitments, attacking Islamabad police, exceeding permitted timings, and delivering anti-state speeches.

The prosecution further alleges that PTI workers attacked police with stones and sticks after being stopped for route violations, leading to the arrest of 17 workers following the use of tear gas by authorities.