Former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan nabbed

Shifted to an undisclosed location along with Mansoor Hayat Khan, Ammar Siddique

ISLAMABAD:

Former federal minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan was arrested from Islamabad on Wednesday in connection with May 9 riots.

Sarwar, who served as the aviation minister in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led cabinet, had managed to evade arrest for over a month. He was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday from his friend’s residence.

Read; PTI leaders on a legal rollercoaster

Former PTI member of National Assembly (MNA) Mansoor Hayat Khan and former Punjab MPA Ammar Siddique Khan, who were with Sarwar at the time of the raid, were also taken into custody.

According to police, a case was registered against Sarwar at Taxila Police Station under sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The PTI leaders were also wanted by the Rawalpindi Police in connection with May 9 riots.

All three detained politicians have been shifted to an undisclosed location.

Read more: No respite for PTI leaders as crackdown continues

Chaos broke out across the country on May 9 when protestors took to the streets in retaliation to the PTI chief’s arrest from Islamabad High Court premises by troops of the paramilitary Rangers. Rioters resorted to vandalism of state property including the Lahore Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House) and the military’s General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

The government blocked internet services for four days in a bid to quell protests, restricted access to social media in the days that followed and has launched a severe crackdown against suspects allegedly involved in the rioting.

Several PTI leaders have broken away from the party since then with some renouncing politics altogether. Several of these leaders announced their decisions after multiple arrests and detentions.