ISLAMABAD: In response to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry’s statement, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Fawad Chaudhry stated that the “legality” of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest is not for the DG ISPR to decide.

Imran was arrested from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) “in accordance with the NAB statement and law,” according to a statement issued by the military’s media wing on Wednesday, a day after the PTI chief’s arrest.

On Tuesday, security personnel whisked the PTI chief away from the IHC in the National Accountability Bureau’s Al-Qadir Trust case.

“The arrest of Imran Khan is illegal and unconstitutional,” Fawad said. Imran Khan has not mentioned General Faisal Naseer’s name for the first time. Imran Khan has mentioned his name numerous times following the assassination attempt, for which he should have been investigated for satisfaction, but this did not occur.”

Imran has repeatedly accused a senior military officer of plotting his assassination during a rally in Wazirabad on November 3, 2022, during which he was shot and injured.

However, when he recently reiterated his claim, the ISPR slammed him, saying that the PTI chief made a “highly irresponsible and baseless allegation” against a serving senior military officer without providing any evidence.

“This fabricated and malicious allegation is extremely unfortunate, deplorable and unacceptable. This has been a consistent pattern for last one year wherein military and intelligence agencies officials are targeted with insinuations and sensational propaganda for the furtherance of political objectives,” the ISPR stated a day ahead of Imran’s arrest on Monday.

Fawad said that the ISPR should take a real look at the events that took place after the arrest of Imran and they need to understand that “a terrible game is being played”.

He said, “An attempt is being made to pit the people and the army against each other. After the ISPR’s statement, the government arrested Imran Khan.”

“The PTI voters are from the lower- and upper-middle classes, while the army is the most organised group of the middle class,” Fawad explained. The army is one of the classes that the PTI represents.”

Fawad stated, “Trying to make the PTI and the army fight each other is a conspiracy against the people and the country.”

The senior party leader stated that the PTI represented 220 million people, many of whom would become emotional if all of the senior leadership was arrested and imprisoned. Who would be given a chance if that happened, he wondered?

Fawad stated that the PTI leadership condemned the previous day’s events and called for a peaceful protest.

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