Imran Khan condemns Sindh govt for arresting Haleem Adil Shaikh

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan demanded on Tuesday the immediate release of Opposition Leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Shaikh and an end to what he labelled as Sheikh's political victimisation and torture, Geo News reported.

Taking to Twitter, the PTI chairman condemned the Sindh government which he termed as 'the Zardari mafia' for arresting and imprisoning PTI leader Haleem Adil Shaikh. He said the provincial government arrested him simply to silence him.

“Haleem has a broken leg and is on hunger strike in jail," he said, demanding his immediate release from imprisonment and an end to his political victimisation and torture.

On June 22, an anti-encroachment court accepted his pre-arrest bail. 

On July 6, the Anti-corruption Establishment, Sindh (ACE) arrested Shaikh while he was visiting his relatives in Lahore. Later, the Lahore High Court (LHC) said that his detention is "unlawful" and granted him protective bail.

Again on July 27, the ACE arrested him in a property transfer case. The PTI leader went to the ACE office in Jamshoro to record his statement in a case pertaining to allegedly raising a loan from a bank on the basis of fake property documents. He was arrested as he recorded the statement in the office of Deputy Director ACE Zeeshan Memon.

On August 22, the court granted him bail against a surety bond worth Rs0.1 million. 

On September 8, the court will indict him during the next hearing of the case. Haleem Adil Shaikh was booked in a case lodged at the Anti-Encroachment police station Zone 2 under the land grabbing charges.

Haleem Adil Shaikh's family requests medical treatment for him

Releasing a video message today (August 24), his son Ahsan Adil Shaikh said he, along with his family, visited his father in jail today. He said his father's condition is not good and that his father had told him that he slipped in the jail washroom and his leg is swollen.

Ahsan said his father is repeatedly asking the jail authorities for his medical check-up. Shaikh's son said his father is the leader of the Opposition but he was denied protocol in jail. He has been kept in a jail reserved for terrorists as according to him the cell was re-opened for him after three years.

Ahsan protested against the treatment his father is being given, saying he is being treated as though he was a criminal. He said several cases have been lodged against him but he was not proven guilty in even a single case.

Ahsan said the entire family is most concerned about his swollen leg at this time.

Haleem's wife Dua Bhutto also tweeted today about her husband, saying his condition is not good as his leg is swollen. "For God's sake, stop this brutality. He needs a doctor. He is being denied facilities in jail," she said.