PTI-supported candidate Khayal Kastro arrested from Faisalabad

Faisalabad: Khayal Ahmed Kastro, a candidate supported by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for PP-118 in the 2024 elections and a former minister, was arrested outside a local court in Faisalabad. The arrest took place as he appeared for bail in a case related to events on May 9.

Khayal Ahmed Kastro allegedly faced mistreatment by the police before his arrest, with plainclothes individuals forcibly taking him into custody. The family of the candidate denounced the arrest as 'illegal' and claimed that the court had granted bail to Khayal Ahmed Kastro.

They asserted that the arrest appeared to be a deliberate attempt to obstruct the PTI-backed candidate from participating in the upcoming elections. Khayal Ahmed Kastro, previously a member of the Punjab Assembly from 2018 to 2023 and a former minister for culture and colonies, is contesting the general elections as an independent candidate supported by PTI from PP-118 (Faisalabad).

On January 14th, PTI announced that its candidates would contest the elections independently, following the Supreme Court's decision overturning the Peshawar High Court's order that reinstated the "bat" as the party's electoral symbol.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, speaking to journalists outside the apex court, confirmed that all party candidates would run independently in the February 8 general elections.

“We will release a list of all our candidates along with their respective election symbols,” he added.