Asad Qaiser arrested in graft case

PESHAWAR: Former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has been arrested from Islamabad after the Anti-Corruption Establishment, Swabi, registered a case against him for alleged corruption in the health department.

Apart from Asad, four doctors, including a lady doctor, are charged in the FIR.

Reports said Asad was arrested from his home in Islamabad.

“I was at home when the police and agency people picked Asad Qaiser despite the fact that he had been granted bail by court in all cases,” a brother of the former speaker said in a video.

“A team of ACE was later sent to the federal capital to shift the former speaker to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” sources added.

Former federal minister and PTI central general secretary Omar Ayub Khan condemned the arrest.

“Strongly condemn the arrest of Speaker Asad Qaiser on trumped-up fictitious charges by the Anti-Corruption Department. An absconder prisoner Mian Nawaz Sharif sentenced by the court is facilitated and given a red-carpet treatment whereas the PTI members are being arrested and victimized. Ironic!! This is called Pre Poll Rigging!! We demand a Level Playing Field,” he tweeted. Asad Qaiser along with other PTI leaders recently met the JUIF chief Fazlur Rehman.

Before him, some ex-ministers and MPAs of the PTI from KP were arrested recently.

Former provincial minister Kamran Bangash was arrested from the provincial capital a few days back.

The other day a case against him surfaced in the northern town of Chitral. Cases are also lodged against a number of former ministers, MNAs and MPAs.