A day after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was dramatically arrested from the diary branch of the Islamabad High Court, party Secretary General Asad Umar was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in the same court. arrested from its premises, JEE News reported.
ATS officials of Islamabad Police picked up Umar from outside the IHC bar room where he and other PTI leaders were preparing to file a petition at the IHC to meet PTI Chairman Imran Khan. .
According to eyewitnesses, PTI lawyers scuffled with the police to prevent Omar’s arrest, but the law enforcement officials overpowered them and took the PTI leader away.
Following the protests following the arrest of former finance minister Imran Khan, two cases were registered against him and other PTI leaders. These cases were registered in Tarnool and Abpara police stations of Islamabad.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Niazi and Ghulam Sarwar Khan were also with Umar when the CTD men attacked him.
After Umar was caught by the police, the three leaders returned to the bar room of the IHC.
The police also tried to arrest Qureshi, but lawyers and other party workers prevented the police from taking away the PTI vice-chairman.
Omar’s arrest prompted PTI leader Shireen Mazari to take to Twitter, where she registered her protest against her colleague’s arrest.
Shireen Mazari tweeted, “IHC cover ‘fertile ground’ for arrest of PTI leaders.”
Condemning Omar’s arrest, he said “it seems that the IHC area has become a fertile ground for illegal arrest of PTI leaders”.
“Fascism confirmed. They can’t catch terrorists but PTI leaders are now gangsters and terrorists for the state? This is despicable,” Mazari wrote on Twitter.
Omar’s arrest has come to light when former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested a day ago by Rangers personnel in connection with the investigation of the Al-Qadir Trust case.
The PTI chief was detained on the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), where he had gone on bail in various cases filed against him, ranging from terrorism to money laundering.
After Khan’s arrest, PTI workers came out in different cities and clashed with the police.
