The Sindh government decided to end his house arrest on Wednesday night and transfer Ali Zaidi, the president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Sindh, to Jacobabad jail after he denied rumours that he had quit the party.
“This department’s corrigendum of even number dated 15/5/2023 regarding detention of Ali Zaidi (MNA) s/o Syed Sajjad Haider Zaidi at sub-jail declared vide Home Department notification…is hereby withdrawn/cancelled,” states the provincial home department’s notification.
My house arrest request was accommodated because of a health condition, Asthma & severe strain on my lower back.
Now I am being arrested again from Ziauddin hospital & taken to Jacobababd jail.
Am I being punished for saying positive things about our armed forces or condemning… pic.twitter.com/L6KJvP3ZWa
— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) May 17, 2023
According to the notification, the May 12 order shall remain in effect as the May 15 corrigendum has been rescinded, and the imprisoned PTI leader will be transferred to the District Prison Jacobabad.
The imprisoned PTI leader tweeted, “My house arrest request was accommodated because of a health condition, Asthma & severe strain on my lower back.”
He said, “Now I’m being detained once more from Ziauddin hospital and transferred to Jacobababd jail.
The PTI leader questioned whether he was being punished for his support of the armed forces or for denouncing the violence on May 9 in response to the unexpected decision made by the provincial government.
Following the arrest of party leader Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9, Zaidi’s detention is a part of the ongoing crackdown on PTI leaders and supporters for their alleged involvement in looting and setting fire to military and government buildings.
At least ten people were killed and numerous others were injured during the violent protests, while thousands of PTI employees were also detained by the authorities in addition to the party officials.
The Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act will be used to prosecute the vandals responsible for the attacks on defence sites, according to the military and the government.
Maleeka Bokhari, Shireen Mazari, and Ali Muhammad Khan, three PTI leaders who had been released earlier today, had been detained earlier than Zaidi.
