ISLAMABAD: PTI chief Imran Khan has strongly condemned the detention of senior party leader Dr Iftikhar Durrani, insisting he had nothing to do with the incidents of May 9.

In a statement issued by party’s central media department on Thursday, Mr Khan said it was now explicitly clear that the ongoing oppression and crackdown against PTI had nothing to do with events of May 9, but it was all part of the London plan to dismantle his party.

He questioned as to why Dr Durrani had been picked up in the dead of night without any arrest warrants despite the fact that he had no involvement in the May 9 incidents.

The former premier said this all indicated that a planned crackdown against the PTI continued.

On the other hand, the Islamabad police claimed that no action had been taken against Dr Durrani.

They said the PTI leader lives in F-10 area and so far no one had contacted the police about his disappearance and kidnapping.

In another statement, the PTI claimed that over a dozen officials in uniform and civvies raided Dr Durrani’s house at 1.30am and kidnapped him.

The officials entered the house by breaking the door and took away Dr Durrani’s mobile phone, his laptop and other equipment, the statement said, adding that raiding officials also took away the footage of the CCTV.

Dr Durrani had been abducted from a ‘hideout’, where he was staying to avoid his possible arrest, the PTI said.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2023