Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has safely returned to Peshawar after being unreachable for several hours, confirmed PTI sources on Tuesday. His return comes amid a string of arrests targeting the party’s leadership, following their rally in Sangjani on Sunday.
Gandapur, who had been in Islamabad for meetings, was feared to have been detained after his contentious address at the rally drew sharp criticism from PML-N leaders and journalists. PTI spokespersons had reported losing contact with him on Monday evening, prompting concerns about his whereabouts. The party’s lawyer, Naeem Haider Panjutha, later confirmed via X (formerly Twitter) that Gandapur had been released and was staying at Islamabad’s KP House before departing for Peshawar.
“Ali Amin Gandapur has reached Peshawar after being unreachable for more than six hours,” PTI’s international media representative Ahmed Janjua said in a statement.
Meanwhile, PTI reported that at least a dozen of its senior members were arrested in overnight raids by law enforcement agencies. Among those taken into custody were MNA Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, National Assembly Chief Whip Amir Dogar, and Sunni Ittehad Council’s leader Sahibzada Hamid Raza. The arrests came shortly after the PTI’s large gathering at Sangjani, sparking concerns of a broader crackdown on the opposition.
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Sher Afzal Marwat were arrested separately outside the Parliament House late Monday night, with police moving swiftly as the two leaders exited the assembly building. Additionally, lawyer Shoaib Shaheen was detained from his office in Islamabad’s G-9 sector in a surprise raid, as captured on video. Resistance from his staff was met with further arrests, as police and plainclothes officers swarmed the office.
Sources suggest the arrests stem from cases filed in connection with Sunday’s PTI rally, which allegedly violated the terms of the public gathering’s NOC and involved clashes between party supporters and police. Law enforcement had initially sealed the case files, preventing party leaders from securing pre-arrest bails.
Other senior PTI leaders, including Zain Qureshi, Zartaj Gul, Omer Ayub, Sheikh Waqas Akram, and Seemabia Tahir, are also wanted by the police. Some of these leaders reportedly sought refuge inside the Parliament House on Monday night to avoid arrest. Police officials stated that efforts to apprehend the remaining PTI leadership were ongoing, with security teams deployed around key federal exit points and the residences of those involved under close surveillance.
In a statement posted online, PTI denounced the arrests as politically motivated and an attack on democracy, claiming the government was targeting its leadership in retaliation for their Sangjani rally.