Pakistan police arrest PTI party leader

Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Pakistani authorities arrested Fawad Chaudhry, the leader of the PTI party and an important ally of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, on charges he was plotting against the country on Wednesday.

Khan was forcibly removed from office last year and has continued to campaign against the current Pakistani government. Chaudhry had publicly criticized the Pakistani government shortly before his arrest.

The Punjab Inspector General Usman Anwar told the Lahore High Court that Chaudhry was being held by the Islamabad Police for "inciting violence against a constitutional institution."

Faisal Chaudhry, the party leader's brother, told the newspaper Dawn that Chaudhry was taken into custody before daylight Wednesday and he called the arrest "illegal."

Khan criticized the arrest, saying he will make more comments later Wednesday.

"Fawad's arrest on his apt description of the CEC leaves no doubt in anyone's mind that [Pakistan] has become a banana republic devoid of rule of law," Khan said on Twitter. "We must stand up for our fundamental rights now to save [Pakistan's] drift towards a point of no return."

Last October, the Pakistan government banned Khan from holding office in the country for at least five years due to an alleged corruption scandal. The ban means he could not be elected to Parliament, where he had been staging a political comeback. He was forced out last April following a no-confidence vote.

Khan, though, has maintained a significant following over the months as he pushed to be included in future elections.