PTI's Firdous Shamim Naqvi taken into police custody in Karachi

Police say several cases have been filed against the PTI leader in various police stations after recent protests

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi has been taken into police custody in Karachi, Express News reported. The leader was detained while leading a rally from the Pehlwan Goth area.

Police said that several cases have been filed against Naqvi in various police stations after the recent anti-government protests. In addition, police said a number women who were protesting near the Justice House in Nursery have also been taken into custody.

Naqvi joins a list of PTI leaders who have been arrested after party chief Imran Khan was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on May 9 which triggered violent protests across the country.

In an unprecedented show of vandalism, PTI supporters had attacked and caused damage to the historic Corps' Commander’s House — originally known as Jinnah House and which once served as the residence of the founding father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Read more: FIR lodged against PTI leaders for attacking Jinnah House

On Wednesday, audio leaks also surfaced on social media, indicating that the leadership of the PTI was allegedly involved in the attack.

The purported audio clips appeared to show that PTI senior leaders had urged party workers to gather at the Jinnah House, as they "rejoiced" the damage caused to the historic building in the recorded telephone calls.

Earlier in the day, City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Syed Khalid Mahmood Hamdani said that those involved in "heinous crimes" in May 9 riots will be thoroughly investigated.

In a press conference, Rawalpindi CPO said police have so far arrested 264 people in 17 cases and that the total number of "criminals arrested in case number 708 RA Bazar (GHQ case) has increased to 76".

He added that arrests are being made through identification via videos and the person seen throwing petrol in the video has also been arrested while the person who instigated the crowd to move towards the GHQ gate is also behind bars.