Arsalan Taj Ghumman, a provincial lawmaker and secretary general of the Karachi chapter of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), was purportedly abducted by policemen and “men in plainclothes” who broke into his home in Gulshan-i-Iqbal early on Sunday morning.
In the late evening, it became known that the lawmaker had been arrested in connection with an attack on the Keamari deputy commissioner’s office.
After several hours of silence, the police acknowledged that they had arrested the PTI leader in a case involving an attack on the office of the deputy commissioner in Keamari roughly two months ago.
The January 18 attack on the Keamari office led to the arrest of the PTI member of parliament, according to a police officer who did not wish to be identified. Several PTI leaders, including former federal minister Ali Zaidi, were arrested in connection with the incident.
In the meantime, the PTI spokesperson asserted that MPA Ghumman was arrested in the anti-terrorism case.
Imran demands the release of a lawmaker, while Ghumman’s sibling claims he was abducted without a warrant.
MPA Jamal Siddiqi, the PTI’s central deputy information secretary, told Dawn earlier in the day that “plainclothes men and policemen forced their way into the house” of a lawmaker near Disco Bakery.
Mr. Siddiqi stated, citing the family, that the “intruders” mistreated MPA Ghumman’s mother and wife and abducted him. According to reports, the police entered the residence without search warrants or female officers.
Mr. Siddiqi stated that CCTV footage obtained from the area “clearly showed police officers removing the MPA, despite police denials.”
Throughout the day, there was no official confirmation from the police regarding the incident. When asked for comment, one officer replied, “No comment.”
“Free Ghumman”
Former prime minister Imran Khan called the government “fascist” and ordered Mr. Ghumman’s release. He wrote on Twitter, “[I] demand the urgent release of PTI MPA and Secretary General Karachi Arsalan Taj Ghuman. Who was kidnapped in the early hours of this morning. Yesterday, he merely mentioned Dirty Harry in his speech. Destruction of our democracy and the rule of law in its entirety.”
Ali Zaidi of the PTI stated in a press release that MPA Ghumman was abducted from his residence this morning. “Before arresting a member of the Sindh Assembly, law enforcement agencies must obtain permission from the assembly’s speaker,” he said, adding that no charges had been lodged against the lawmaker.
Imran, the MPA’s brother, told the media that plainclothes officials scaled the walls and entered the house at 6 a.m. “According to my mother, people are entering the home. After the mother locked the door, the intruders kicked it in and the inspector said they were there to arrest Arsalan. They entered the home without a warrant and insulted the mother and the rest of the family, he said.
“Their vehicle license plates were covered with black patterns. Arsalan’s life is in peril, and I ask the chief justice to release him,” he added.
