Former Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati, aged 68, was arrested by federal authorities amid ongoing protests in the twin cities. He was initially taken to the Sangjani police station and later moved to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) center. The reasons for his arrest have not yet been disclosed, further fueling political tensions in the country. The PTI leadership expressed serious concerns over the increasing number of arrests among their ranks, with Swati’s detention being the latest in a string of apprehensions.
This comes at a time when PTI is under intense scrutiny from law enforcement agencies. Police have lodged multiple cases, leading to the arrest of nearly 1,000 supporters of Imran Khan, including around 20 law enforcement officers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, following two days of clashes during protests at D-Chowk.
READ MORE: Government to Cover Rs. 13.8 Billion IT Ministry Expenses in FY 2024-25
Although most protests have subsided, some gatherings were forcibly dispersed by police, resulting in over 45 additional arrests. Islamabad police chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi confirmed the detention of 878 individuals, including 120 Afghan nationals, with several facing charges of terrorism.
In Rawalpindi, more cases were registered, leading to the arrest of around 150 protesters, with authorities citing violent confrontations. Meanwhile, Attock police detained 11 police officers from KP and confiscated vehicles used in the protests, including ambulances and rescue equipment.
