KARACHl: Former MNA Alamgir Khan Mehsud of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf was picked up from his Gulshan-i-lqbal residence on Wednesday, his party said.While police were tight-lipped over the development, the PTl said in a statement that armed men in plain clothes, accompanied by a police team, came to Mr Mehsud`s residence and took him away.

It said that the former MNA recently came back from Islamabad. He said his family told him that unidentified masked men forcibly took him in a police mobile van.

PTI-Karachi president Raja Azhar demanded immediate release of the party leader. He said that the police produced an FIR if Mr Mehsud was wanted in connection with any crime.

Terming it a case of abduction, Mr Azhar asked the SSP-East to respond as to why their party leader was `arrested`. He said that the former MNA was punished for standing with Imran Khan.

Dawn tried to reach out senior police officers, including the DIG and SSP of East district, for their version but they did not respond.