Ex Pak Woman Minister, Critic Of Army, "Beaten" By Police, Claims Family

Former Pakistani human rights minister Shireen Mazari was "beaten" and taken away by the police, her daughter said today.

Shireen Mazari, a former cabinet colleague of Imran Khan, has been criticising the Army after the former premier was removed from office through a no-confidence motion last month.

The charges against Ms Mazari are yet to be announced officially. However, local media reported it could be related to a land dispute on which a police case was filed in March this year. Her daughter Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir tweeted about her arrest by "anti-corruption" officials.

Male police officers have beaten and taken my mother away. All I have been told is that Anti Corruption Wing Lahore has taken her.

— Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir (@ImaanZHazir) May 21, 2022

"Male police officers have beaten and taken my mother away. All I have been told is that Anti-Corruption Wing Lahore has taken her," Zainab Mazari-Hazir said.

Officials of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) confirmed to Dawn News that Ms Mazari had been taken into custody.

Former special assistant to the prime minister, Shahbaz Gill, asked workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to reach the Kohsar police station in Islamabad where Ms Mazari was apparently held.

PTI leaders said the arrest smacked of political victimisation.

Ms Mazari last week alleged that "neutrals" were neutral when Imran Khan was removed from office - in what she called an "American conspiracy". The word neutral is used for the Army by PTI leaders.

Imran Khan, 69, has alleged he was ousted from office by a conspiracy, led by the US, over his pursuance of an independent foreign policy. His supporters have used social media to target the Army for doing nothing to save his government.

The state institutions like the judiciary and the military have been severely criticised. Since then, Imran Khan held several public rallies in different cities, labelling the new government as "traitors and corrupt rulers" allegedly imposed at the behest of the US.

The US has repeatedly denied any involvement in the domestic politics of Pakistan.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)