Vice chairman of Pakistan's Tahreek-i-Insaf arrested in Islamabad

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Pakistani sources reported on Wednesday that Imran Khan's top aide, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Vice Chairman of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the country's former Foreign Minister, has been arrested today in Pakistan's capital city, Islamabad, in the Red Zone area. 

This comes after the arrest of PTI's Secretary-General Asad Umar was announced by the media. According to sources, he will be detained for 15 days. 

On the eve of his arrest, Qureishi said that the police tried to arrest him along with Umar, but he managed to evade authorities and fled to safety. 

Asad Umar was arrested this morning from the Islamabad High Court Bar Association where lawyers working on behalf of PTI were readying a plea to seek a meeting with former Prime Minister Imran Khan who was arrested Monday. 

Khan was taken into custody on Monday by authorities following a hearing on the Al-Qadir Trust case. Khan is reportedly facing an inquiry by the National Accountability Bureau regarding a settlement between the PTI government and real estate tycoon Malik Riaz, which reportedly caused a loss of 50 billion Pakistani rupees ($17.6 million) to the national exchequer.

PTI has called on citizens to gather to protest peacefully to demand Khan's release.

On Tuesday, Pakistan's authorities said Khan was facing an inquiry by the National Accountability Bureau in the Al-Qadir Trust case, related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, reportedly causing a loss of 50 billion Pakistani rupees ($17.6 million) to the national exchequer.

Read more: Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan faces court after shock arrest

Earlier today, local sources reported that nearly 1,000 people have been detained in Punjab since protests broke out following the arrest of Khan.

In a statement, the police reported the arrest of "945 lawbreakers and miscreants from across the province."

Khan will appear Wednesday in a special court at the capital's police headquarters to answer alleged graft charges, a day after his shock arrest prompted violent nationwide protests.

Khan's detention follows months of political crisis and came hours after the powerful military criticized the former PM for accusing a senior officer of being involved in a plot to assassinate him.

Some protesters clashed with the military, setting fire to the residence of the corps commander in Lahore and besieging the army's general headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi.

Cities across the country also witnessed clashes between the police and supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for hours on Tuesday night. Local media reported two deaths in those clashes.

PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi didn’t condemn what PTI workers did yesterday!#ImranKhanArrested pic.twitter.com/dDWarzasQV

— Shama Junejo (@ShamaJunejo) May 10, 2023

Read more: Police clash with protesters in Pakistan after Imran Khan was arrested