Dr. Yasmeen Rashid, a former Punjab health minister, and Khadija Shah, a fashion designer, were both remanded in police custody by an anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Saturday. The court granted the police further physical remand of the two women in separate cases pertaining to the May 9 riots.
Dr. Rashid was arrested on May 25 for allegedly making speeches to incite violence. She is accused of delivering speeches in Lahore and other cities in which she called for the overthrow of the government and the release of PTI leader Imran Khan.
Khadija Shah was arrested on May 31 for her alleged involvement in the attack on Jinnah House, the former residence of Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. She is accused of leading a group of PTI supporters who vandalized and set fire to the building.
The court ordered that both women be kept in police custody for 14 days, while the investigation into the cases against them continues.
The arrests of Dr. Rashid and Khadija Shah have been criticized by human rights groups and the PTI. The groups have accused the government of using the cases against the two women to silence political dissent.
The government has denied the allegations, saying that the arrests are part of a legitimate investigation into the May 9 riots.
The May 9 riots were a series of violent protests that erupted in Pakistan after the PTI was ousted from power in a no-confidence motion. The protests were led by PTI supporters, who clashed with security forces and damaged public property.
The government has accused the PTI of inciting the riots and has arrested hundreds of PTI leaders and activists. The PTI has denied the allegations, saying that the protests were peaceful and that the government is using the arrests to suppress dissent.
The cases against Dr. Rashid and Khadija Shah are still ongoing. It remains to be seen whether they will be charged and convicted. However, their arrests have already had a chilling effect on political dissent in Pakistan.
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