Islamabad, October 21: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's silence over the arrest of Maryam Nawaz Sharif's husband Captain Safdar Awan from a hotel in Karachi has drawn the ire of opposition leaders such as former PMs Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Raja Pervez Ashraf, and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Akram Khan Durrani, who have asked why the PM has not spoken on the matter.

"But did the prime minister deliver a speech? Did he issue a statement?" Abbasi asked at a press conference, as quoted by The News. Also Read | US State Department Designates Six Media Companies as ‘Foreign Missions’ of China; Check List.

Addressing Khan directly, Abbasi asked: "Do you not care about the federation? Are you worried at all about the provinces?" He further stated that the PM was completely unaware of the pain and misery of the common man, and further alleged that he was resorting to any means possible to torturing his political opponents. Also Read | Pope Francis Voices Support For Same-Sex Civil Unions in Documentary Film ‘Francesco’.

"We condemn all of this," he declared. Ashraf, addressing the media, also seconded Abbasi in questioning why there had been no statement from any government representative -- ministers or the prime minister himself, according to The News.

"The prime minister should have come forward and laid down the facts before the nation. He should have spoken to Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah," the PPP leader said. He further stated that Khan instead "has gone into hiding and adopted an indifferent stance".

Meanwhile, Durrani said that the country is going through a "grave crisis". "Such incidents have never before occurred in the country's history." Earlier, the police had "arrested" Safdar Awan, from the hotel they were staying in Karachi, hours after the PML-N vice-president had lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan and the PTI government at second power show of 11-party opposition alliance People's Democratic Movement (PDM), which was attended by thousands of people.

"Police broke my room door at the hotel I was staying at in Karachi and arrested Capt. Safdar," Maryam tweeted early Monday. Several police officers on Tuesday applied for leave in order to "come out of the [...] shock" caused by the registration of an FIR and arrest of Safdar, according to Dawn.

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)