Imran Khan in Trouble after Chief of Staff Shahbaz Gill’s Arrest: Who's the Pak Neutral? Exclusive

Even as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan kept blaming a “neutral" for making him do the “unimportant tasks" when he was in the government, the Islamabad Police on Tuesday arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s chief of staff and party leader Shahbaz Gill on charges of treason amid high drama.

On Monday, Gill had called for rebellion within the Pakistan Armed Forces and called on the officers to defy certain orders from the top command.

Sources say this is the beginning and more PTI leaders will be arrested soon. Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Khan termed Gill’s arrest “abduction".

Who is the neutral? Is there a link to the arrest? What does it mean for Khan and his party? CNN-News18 gets exclusive details.

THE “NEUTRAL" PERSON

For some time now, Imran Khan has been blaming a “neutral".

Khan has made the “neutral" reference in the context of his filing of the presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the arrest of Rana Sanaullah in drugs case, and many more.

He has also gone to the extent of blaming the neutral for “dethroning him" as the prime minister. Khan alleged that the neutral asked him to appoint the current chief election commissioner and he has worked against the PTI.

However, Khan could gain power again with the help of the “neutral", say sources.

The general conception is the neutral maybe Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa or General Faiz Hamid. But they both are not the “neutral" Khan is mentioning.

According to sources in the GHQ Rawalpindi, the “neutral" Khan keeps referring to is Lt General Gafoor.

CNN-News18 had earlier reported how Khan is under pressure and at some stage he will be in serious trouble.

Recently, Pakistan’s election commission issued a notice to Khan and ordered him to appear personally on August 23 at the hearing in the prohibited funding case against his party. The electoral watchdog ruled that Khan’s PTI received funds from 34 foreign nationals and business tycoon Arif Naqvi. Khan’s PTI and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) have been at loggerheads. Khan has been accusing Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja of being biased.

THE REACTIONS

“This is an abduction not an arrest. Can such shameful acts take place in any democracy? Political workers treated as enemies. And all to make us accept a foreign backed government of crooks," Khan tweeted.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that Gill was “kidnapped" by men who came in vehicles without number plates from Banigala chowk.

On July 17, the Punjab Police had arrested Shahbaz Gill in Muzaffargarh.

He was arrested for allegedly visiting different polling stations during the by-elections in the city with his security guards who were dressed as FC personnel.

He was later released on the orders of a district magistrate.

With Agency Inputs

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