Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar was arrested by "anti-terrorist squad" from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday, a day after the arrest of party chief Imran Khan.
Umar was taken into custody from outside the IHC Bar Association's office where they had been preparing a plea to file in the IHC, to seek a meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
The PTI lawyers tried to stop the arrest but the force took Umar, Geo News reported. The police also tried arresting Qureshi, however, the lawyers and other party workers saved the PTI vice chairman from arrest.
Umar was with PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee and Ghulam Sarwar Khan in the IHC's premises.
All three leaders returned to the IHC's Bar Room after Umar was taken by the police.
The former finance minister was booked in two cases registered against PTI leaders following the protests that took place after Imran Khan's arrest a day earlier.
The cases were registered in Islamabad's Tarnol and Aabpara police stations.
Umar's arrest prompted PTI leader Shireen Mazari to take to Twitter, where she registered her protest against his fellow's arrest.
"IHC premises 'fertile ground' for PTI leaders' arrest," Shireen Mazari tweeted.
She condemned Umar's arrest, saying "seems like the IHC area has become a fertile ground to illegally arrest PTI leaders".
"Fascism confirmed. They can't get the terrorists but PTI leaders are now terrorists for cabal of crooks and the State? This is despicable," Mazari wrote on Twitter.
Umar's arrest comes a day after former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested by Rangers personnel in connection with an investigation into the Al-Qadir Trust case.
The PTI chief was taken into custody from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC), where he had gone to seek bail in multiple cases registered against him ranging from terrorism to money laundering.
Following Khan's arrest, PTI workers came out in different cities and clashed with the police.
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