PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja arrested in Islamabad

Police have not yet released further details about the circumstances surrounding Raja’s arrest or the reason for his detention. The development comes as PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan reiterated that the party’s long march would proceed on its scheduled date.

Speaking to the media in Peshawar, Gohar said the party was not organising the march as a recreational activity, describing it instead as an “Insaaf March”. He said people in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan had already received instructions regarding the planned march.

Gohar said people in Punjab had come out despite restrictions on street movements. He also criticised the treatment of Punjab Chief Minister and members of the provincial assembly, saying that leaving the chief minister at a location after placing him in a vehicle was inappropriate.

He said a chief minister visiting another province should be treated with hospitality. Gohar further said PTI would hold a peaceful protest, would not block roads and would not create provocation. He said party workers would remain unarmed and raise their voices for their rights.

He added that Punjab assembly members had remained with the chief minister despite difficult circumstances. Commenting on the previous day’s proceedings involving the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court, Gohar said he was disappointed by the hearing.

He criticised what he described as courts referring cases to one another, saying that such a decision could even be made by a panchayat. Raja’s arrest comes amid heightened political activity surrounding PTI’s planned protest campaign.

Further details from police regarding his detention were awaited.