Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said on Wednesday the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had become a “political party” in the arrest of PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry.
The PTI leader was arrested from his residence in Lahore after ECP Secretary Umer Hameed registered a case against him for threatening the members of the election commission in a speech.
In a series of tweets, the former interior minister said the ECP’s duty was to hold elections in the country and not to file cases agaisnt people, adding that the arrest of Fawad Chaudhry had exposed the intentions of the government. He claimed the government had planned “something else” in guise of elections.
Mr Ahmed predicted a round of arresting people would be started before the IMF programme and it would prove a last nail in the coffin of the government.
PTI warns of countrywide protests against Fawad Chaudhry's arrest
Referring to depleting foreign exchange reserves and IMF’s conditions, he said the prevailing economic and power crises would prove a bone in the throat for the government. He said the country had come to a halt, adding that the arrest of Fawad Chaudhry would add to the political tension.
“Now decisions will be taken on roads as the country is on the course of chaos instead of elections,” he said, adding that the people would not trust the results of elections as the ECP had lost public confidence.
He said those where were demanding elections were trying to evade them. The AML chief said beneficiaries of amendments to the NAB laws would soon face accountability in the court of public.