Pakistan Army Attempts 'Forceful' Arrest of Khyber CM Ali Gandapur In Islamabad, Says Imran Khan's Party

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s party on Saturday alleged that the country’s army personnel “forcefully entered” the KP House in Islamabad to arrest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. However, shortly after, the party retracted the claim.

The reports of Gandapur’s arrest came after he arrived in the federal capital to become a part of his party’s protest. The call for protest was given by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf: party founder Khan who has been incarcerated at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for more than a year. The PTI is protesting for the release of Khan, to express solidarity with the judiciary, and against inflation.

‘Illegitimate power’

In a post on X, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said, “Rangers have forcefully entered KP House and launched an aggressive attack in an attempt to arrest CM KPK Ali Amin Gandapur.” Khan’s PTI said that those in key institutions are intent on pushing the country toward anarchy to maintain their “illegitimate power,” warning of the irreparable damage this could inflict on Pakistan.

However, a KP government spokesperson subsequently said in a statement on X: “The KP CM has not been formally arrested, a heavy contingent of Rangers and police are present at the KP House. The KP CM is on bail till October 25. If arrested, it will be an insult to the mandate of the people of KP, the fake government will have to answer for such unconstitutional and illegal actions.”

It remains unclear why the Rangers are attempting to arrest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Gandapur, especially since the Peshawar High Court granted him protective bail until October 25. According to Pakistan media, the court directed law enforcement agencies not to arrest him in connection with cases registered against him in Islamabad and Punjab.

Tensions in Islamabad

Tensions in the capital continued to escalate following violent clashes between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters and police. Despite heavy blockades and heightened security, the party has decided to proceed with its planned protest in Lahore.

On Friday, hundreds of PTI activists, including senior leaders, gathered at multiple locations in Islamabad, defying police restrictions and road closures. They aimed to hold a protest at D-Chowk despite Section 144 being in effect. Islamabad police meanwhile arrested over 100 PTI members and supporters.

Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said more than 80 police officers had been treated for injuries since Friday, when clashes broke out just outside the city during an anti-government rally. Authorities have sealed off Islamabad and blocked cellphone services to prevent the gathering.

Islamabad is on high alert ahead of a series of top-level diplomatic events scheduled over the next two weeks. Naqvi said while the convoy was heavily armed, the police had been instructed not to carry weapons to prevent the situation from escalating. The government has deployed the army to enhance security in Islamabad.

SCO Meet

The protesters plan to gather in the city’s red zone, which houses the country’s parliament and a fortified enclave of foreign embassies. Khan’s party denies using violence, and says it wants to hold a peaceful gathering. Naqvi had previously called on the PTI to delay any gathering until after diplomatic engagements in the city, including a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting on Oct. 15-16 which will be attended by delegations, including from China, Russia and India.

On Saturday, Naqvi said the authorities had intelligence that the protesters planned to disrupt the SCO conference in a bid to gain attention. “We can’t allow this. I will say to them again, to not cross more red lines – don’t make us take extreme steps,” Naqvi said. The PTI, which says the Islamabad protest is just for one day, is also holding a gathering in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday, where a lockdown of roads is in place.

(With agency inputs)