The PTI on Monday condemned the alleged political victimisation and “inhumane” jail conditions faced by incarcerated former MNA and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza.
The party claimed that essential medical care and basic rights were not being provided to the incarcerated leader, which was a grave erosion of justice, due process and constitutional protections.
The Islamabad police arrested Raza and presented him before a Faisalabad anti-terrorism court, which sent him to jail to serve his 10-year jail term in the May 9 case. The SIC chief was convicted in the case along with several PTI leaders on July 31.
In a statement issued by the PTI Central Media Department, the party vehemently condemned Raza’s treatment during his detention.
“His arrest – carried out while he was on his way to voluntarily surrender before the court – and the subsequent denial of his basic rights in jail reflect a disturbing pattern of political persecution and a blatant disregard for human dignity,” it stated.
The PTI strongly demanded that Raza be immediately provided access to necessary medical care and legal facilities in jail.
“His family and legal counsel must be allowed to meet him in a proper and unhindered environment. PTI also calls for the prompt and impartial hearing of his appeals to ensure that justice is delivered without delay,” it stated.
The statement further asserted that his sentence reflected a broader political vendetta, while the conditions he was enduring in jail were “utterly intolerable”. The PTI expressed serious concern for his health and fundamental rights.
“He is being denied essential medication, while his family members and lawyers are forced to meet him through bars in inappropriate and restrictive conditions – an outright violation of constitutional guarantees,” the statement claimed.
It stated that equally troubling was the fact that a Lahore High Court (LHC) judge recused himself from hearing the petitions of Raza and others on November 14, resulting in unnecessary delays in the judicial process and undermining their right to timely justice.
Furthermore, the party noted that the failure to stay the by-election in constituency NA-104 had paved the way for an imbalanced and one-sided electoral process.