Police in Dera Ismail Khan on Thursday night took Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Amin Gandapur into custody over a leaked audio tape in which he can allegedly be heard threatening authorities against the possible arrest of party chief Imran Khan.
In the unverified audio, a voice purportedly belonging to the PTI leader threatens to besiege Islamabad if the former prime minister is arrested, warning authorities against taking the step. He was taken into custody from the Dera Ismail Khan bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), where Gandapur had been hoping to secure pre-arrest bail but was unable to do so because no judge was available.
“I don’t know anything about FIRs [first information reports],” he told journalists outside the courtroom prior to his arrest. “They are saying that the FIRs are registered against me and my arrest is required,” he said, adding that there were several cases lodged against him and he did not have any confidence in authorities ensuring justice.
According to the leaked audio, Gandapur allegedly threatened the government with a “siege” of Islamabad if Khan were arrested. He also directed police to not create any hurdles for the PTI, warning law enforcers that would be dealt with “like PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement] workers” if they did.
Condemning the arrest, PTI chief Khan claimed Gandapur had been preemptively arrested “despite bails.” Seeking to support his claims, he shared a video of Gandapur’s lawyer alleging that the district police officer had told the sessions judge that the PTI leader had to be arrested “no matter the cost.” He vowed that these efforts would not deter the PTI, adding that the party would emerge victorious in elections.
Similarly, former chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan described Gandapur’s arrest as “fascism,” and claimed the PTI was committed to “real democracy and freedom.” Former KP minister Taimur Khan Jhagra added: “People of Pakistan are with you, Ali. We are all with you.”
In a statement, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) claimed Gandapur had been arrested under a colonial-era sedition law and described it as “deplorable” in light of a Lahore High Court ruling striking it down. “HRCP demands that Amin Gandapur be released, and that the government and law enforcement authorities desist using such deplorable tactics to stifle political dissent,” it added.