PTI's Salman Akram Raja released after 4 fours of police detention

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said that he was released by the police after four hours of detention on Thursday, after being taken into custody while travelling to Kotli Sattian to attend the funeral prayers of party worker Ijaz Satti.

The party claimed earlier today that Raja and several other party workers were detained. "PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, MNA-elect from Murree-Kotli Sattian, Latasub Satti and others were allegedly abducted and taken to Nilore Police Station in Islamabad while travelling to Kotli Sattian to attend the funeral prayers of PTI worker Ijaz Satti," the PTI said in a statement on X.

The PTI alleged that the detentions were intended to prevent party workers and supporters from attending Satti’s funeral.

“First our worker was martyred, and now people are being abducted and arrested to stop them from attending his funeral,” the statement said.

The party further alleged that the detentions reflected the authorities’ disregard for political and religious norms.

“The mafia imposed on the country is not only devoid of morality, but, intoxicated by power, has also forgotten all the principles of Islam,” it said.

In a post on X at 5:32pm, Raja said: "After four hours of unjustly detaining me, Latasob Satti, Ikhlaq Satti and several of our friends, we have been released. The sole purpose was to prevent us from attending the funeral of the late Ijaz Satti. Fear of the public has stripped the decision-makers of reason and sense. Human rights have become meaningless. I am grateful to friends for their well-wishes."

Latasob also posted a photo of the PTI members after release. 

"In this fake government, even attending funerals has become a crime, by God. God willing, the resistance will continue."

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan strongly condemned the detention of Raja and called for his immediate release.

In a statement, Gohar said that Raja had been kept in police custody at a police station for the past two hours, claiming that around 700 PTI workers had been arrested over the past few days and that arrest warrants had been issued against members of the National and Provincial Assemblies.

“This is all illegal; this must end now,” Gohar said.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan, while condemning the incident, said that Raja was travelling to attend the funeral of PTI leader Ijaz Satti, who, according to the party, died in police custody.

“Has a ban now been imposed on attending funerals in Islamabad and Punjab as well?” Jan asked.

He accused the federal and Punjab governments of undermining constitutional and legal protections, saying that “the current mandate thieves have trampled upon the Constitution, law and basic human values in the country.”

“Form 47 rulers have even forgotten basic human values in their political vendetta. The illegal tactics of these fake rulers will never be forgotten by the nation,” he added.

Jan said restricting attendance at a funeral was unacceptable, adding that the federal and Punjab governments would have to be held accountable for their actions.