LAHORE: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Monday said Pakistanis are living in the "dark ages" as the authorities were using Nazi Germany-era law of kin punishment against his supporters amid silence from the Supreme Court.
Security agencies across the country have detained thousands of workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in connection with the attacks on military installations after Khan was arrested in a corruption case last month.
"We are now living in the dark ages. Nazi Germany-era law of kin punishment is being practised against PTI. How long will the SC (Supreme Court) allow complete violation of fundamental rights of anyone linked to Pakistan's biggest political party?" Khan said in a series of tweets.
Khan, the chief of PTI said, "In other countries where this barbaric law (of kin punishment) was imposed, was in totalitarian states like Stalin's Russia, North Korea and China during the Cultural Revolution."
Police on Monday picked up the father of Hammad Azhar, the former finance minister in the PTI government, as security agencies continue to detain family members of those who escaped arrest in connection with the May 9 riots.
Azhar has been in hiding since the attacks on the state installations by PTI workers.
The police claim that he was one of the planners of the attacks.
"Strongly condemn Mian Azhar's (father of Hammad Azhar) abduction from his residence in Lahore. He is one of the most respected politicians of Punjab, 82 years of age and struggling with multiple health issues. It just goes to show that this fascist regime is devoid of any sense of ethics or morality in its mission to crush PTI," Khan said in a tweet in Urdu.
He said such acts that violate the value system of society, especially the way they respect women and elders, will further breed hatred and anger against "this fascist government".