Sohail Afridi among eight PTI leaders taken into custody

Police in Peshawar have confirmed taking eight Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including former chief minister Sohail Afridi, into protective custody following the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in the province.

The party, however, has claimed that several of its leaders have been arrested.

According to police sources, the leaders were taken into custody for their own safety amid the prevailing law and order situation.

Police officials made it clear that no political leader had been formally arrested in any case so far.

PTI’s Deputy Information Secretary Ikram Khatana, however, claimed that Afridi had been arrested and shifted to an undisclosed location.

He also said provincial party president Junaid Akbar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur and MNA Shahid Khattak, along with other senior party leaders, had been taken into custody.

The development comes after the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.

The government move has resulted in the dissolution of the provincial cabinet, with administrative affairs handed over to an interim arrangement headed by the provincial governor.