Emergency meeting: PTI demands immediate release of Shahbaz Gill

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday demanded immediate release of its senior party leader and former special assistant to the prime minister for political communication Dr Shahbaz Gill who was arrested earlier by the Islamabad Police, reported Aaj News.

In an emergency meeting, chaired by PTI Chairman Imran Khan at Bani Gala, party members called for initiating legal proceedings in response to Gill’s arrest.

Former federal minister for law Babar Awan briefed the participants on the legal process and the meeting unanimously termed the arrest unlawful. The meeting also discussed lodging a petition in court to challenge the arrest later during the day.

Shahbaz Gill arrested for inciting violence against state institutions: Islamabad Police

Senior PTI leaders Murad Saeed, Babar Awan, Shireen Mazari attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Imran Khan also alerted senior PTI leaders for more possible arrests.

Earlier during the day, Islamabad Police arrested former special assistant to the prime minister for political communication Dr Shahbaz Gill outside Banigala Chowk for "making statements against state institutions and inciting the people to rebellion."

A case was registered against the PTI leader at the Banigala Police Station, said the spokesperson. Besides other charges, clauses relating to inciting people against the state institutions and their heads were added in the FIR, it was reported.

Condemning the arrest, Imran Khan called an emergency meeting to discuss the issue.

Taking to Twitter, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said "this is an abduction not an arrest. Can such shameful acts take place in any democracy?"

According to him, political workers were being treated as enemies and all this was being done "to make us accept a foreign backed government of crooks."

PTI leaders Murad Saeed and Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said Gill was "abducted outside Banigala by people who came in cars without number plates".

They added that windows of Gill’s car were smashed and the people accompanying him were also targeted in the incident.

Reports indicate the former SAPM also sustained an injury during the alleged abduction.

“Shahbaz Gill was arrested. The imported government is in a frenzy,” tweeted Murad Saeed earlier.