Elderly man arrested for criticising Punjab govt allegedly fired from his job

An elderly man arrested by Punjab police for criticising the provincial government over poor rain management in Lahore has reportedly been fired from his job at Qarshi Industries.

Multiple journalists on social media, including Asad Toor claimed that Sajid Nawaz was terminated from his position following his arrest. The news sparked backlash online, with many users calling for a boycott of the popular beverage company.

However, Qarshi Industries has not officially commented on the reports, and Nawaz's family has also not confirmed his termination as of yet.

Meanwhile, Sajid Nawaz’s son, Umar, has filed a petition in the Lahore Sessions Court seeking the recovery of his father. According to the petition, Nawaz has been in police custody for two days without any formal charges or court proceedings.

Advocates Sameer Khan Khattak and Noman Sarwar Dogar represented the petitioner in court. They alleged that the Station House Officer (SHO) of Johar Town police station is unlawfully detaining Sajid Nawaz.

Additional Sessions Judge Ghulam Farid issued notices to the police and summoned a response by July 15. The court has directed that if Sajid Nawaz is in police custody, he must be safely produced before the court. The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow.

Read: Rawalpindi teen who fled to Lahore says he was wrong, apologises to father

The controversy began after a video of Sajid Nawaz riding a motorcycle through rainwater on a flooded road went viral. In the video, he used abusive language against the Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir while criticising the government's poor handling of the situation.

Following the video's circulation, police arrested Nawaz. Shortly after, a new video surfaced online in which he was seen apologising and calling his earlier comments a mistake.