After securing bail in a corruption case, the police re-apprehended Asad Qaiser, a prominent figure in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former National Assembly (NA) Speaker, from inside Swabi Jail on Thursday regarding his involvement in the May 9 riots.
Charsadda police detained Qaiser, a staunch supporter of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, within Swabi Jail premises and relocated him to an undisclosed place.
The May 9 unrest spread throughout the country following the arrest of the former prime minister in a £190 million settlement case. Numerous PTI members and high-ranking leaders were imprisoned for their roles in instigating violence and assaulting military facilities.
Amid the protests, rioters targeted both civilian and military sites, including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military labeled May 9 as a “Black Day” and opted to prosecute the demonstrators under the Army Act.
In a video message recorded during his recent arrest, the imprisoned PTI leader encouraged his party supporters to persist in their efforts for triumph in the upcoming elections, asserting, “We are not intimidated, and we won’t retreat.”
Stating that given an equal political ground, his party would secure a significant majority in the forthcoming elections, the PTI leader accused unnamed entities of prematurely designating someone as the prime minister.
It’s notable that both PTI and PPP have accused the interim government of favoring PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif before the imminent elections.
Earlier, a corruption court in Abbottabad granted bail to the PTI leader in a graft case linked to the procurement of medical equipment for Gajju Khan Medical College Swabi. Upon approving his bail plea, the judge mandated the submission of surety bonds worth Rs80,000.
On November 3, the former NA speaker was arrested from his residence in Islamabad’s Bani Gala area by police and Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) personnel over alleged corrupt dealings in medical equipment procurement.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
