PTI’s Haleem Sheikh detained during by-election in Karachi

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Haleem Adil Sheikh was taken into police custody on Tuesday, a police officer said, during a by-election for a Sindh Assembly seat that fell vacant after its lawmaker died of Covid-19.

Sheikh was arrested from Karachi’s PS-88 constituency in Malir, Senior Superintendent of Police Irfan Bahadur said, according to Geo News. The police said it was acting on the orders of the Election Commission of Pakistan, after the latter had sent written orders to remove Sheikh from the constituency.

The order was written by the Regional Election Commissioner Nadeem Haider and was sent to the Malir Superintendent of Police. In a separate letter to Irfan Bahadur, the regional election commissioner told the police to make sure no elected representative was in the constituency. He added that if any elected representative was found, he or she should be escorted out.

Earlier, the Pakistan Peoples Party had complained to the chief election commissioner, alleging the Sindh Assembly opposition leader was harassing voters in the constituency along with armed men.

As the arrest took place, riot police were stationed outside the SSP’s office. Water cannons and additional troops were also ready to deal with any protests, while police personnel were equipped with anti-riot gear.

PPP leader Saeed Ghani in a media briefing accused Sheikh of going around the constituency accompanied by armed men and firing shots in the air while polling was under way. He said video evidence is available to support this.

A video statement of Sheikh was released following his arrest. “I have been informed by the SSP Malir that I have been arrested,” he said. “As Leader of the Opposition, I should have been given security,” Sheikh said, adding that security was withdrawn “on the orders of Zardari and Bilawal”.

He insisted he was not present in the constituency but his workers were “attacked”. “When I got there, I too, was attacked,” he alleged, adding that his guards resorted to aerial firing to disperse the “attackers”. “They harassed me to influence the election,” Sheikh claimed, without naming anyone.

He further claimed that party workers were forcibly removed from the polling stations and shoved around. “The PPP have tried to take over the election via an elaborate plot,” he alleged. “I will not let go of this easily. There will be payback for every move,” Sheikh said.

Earlier, a letter written by PPP leader Taj Haider had demanded the ECP direct the police to remove Sheikh and the armed men. He had also claimed in the letter that the PTI leader was offering Ehsaas programme cards to the voters.

The seat fell vacant after PPP’s Ghulam Murtaza Baloch, the minister for human settlement, died of Covid-19. The PPP had given a ticket to Muhammad Yousuf Baloch, while PTI fielded Jan Sher Junejo to contest the by-election.

Apart from this, there were around a dozen candidates belonging to different parties and independents also in the race for the PS-88 by-polls.