ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday demanded a probe into the death of its elderly worker Ijaz Satti in police custody, calling on Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and the provincial police chief to explain the circumstances surrounding his death.
In a statement, PTI spokesman Sheikh Waqas Akram said that Satti was detained after a police raid at his residence despite his advanced age and poor health.
He said Satti suffered a cardiac arrest while in custody and died at the scene, raising questions about the circumstances of his arrest and treatment.
“Why was Satti’s house raided and why was an elderly, unwell political leader taken into custody ahead of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s scheduled visit to Rawalpindi,” he asked.
He also accused the Punjab government of using arrests, raids and intimidation against PTI workers, saying such measures could not prevent people from exercising their constitutional and democratic rights.
On judicial matters, he reaffirmed PTI’s commitment to judicial independence, constitutional supremacy and democracy, and called for legal action against officials who deliberately disregard court orders.
He expressed concern over the delay in implementing the Supreme Court’s August 18 decision concerning Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital and access for his lawyers and family.
He urged immediate implementation of the apex court’s orders, saying Khan’s constitutional and fundamental rights could not remain suspended indefinitely.
Regarding September 27, he said PTI would exercise its constitutional right to peaceful political expression under Article 19.
He also condemned alleged police brutality during KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s Punjab visit and sought a probe into a Wazirabad security incident involving an armed man reportedly spotted near his convoy.
Akram alleged that more than 1,500 PTI leaders and workers had been arrested or detained during the visit, while homes were raided and tear gas was used.
He said that despite the measures, people in Lahore, Sialkot, Wazirabad, Gujranwala and Gujrat took to the streets in support of PTI and Imran Khan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026