As the government crackdown is in full swing against May 9 rioters, former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar was arrested from Islamabad in connection to the May 9 riots case.
According to the details, Ghulam Sarwar, who served as the aviation minister in the PTI-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.
The police authorities had been searching for former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar for more than a month in relation to the May 9 violence case. A case was registered against Sarwar at Taxila Police Station under sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The police had been raiding for the arrest of Ghulam Sarwar Khan and had sealed his petrol pump too.
Read more: PM vows to bring all culprits of May 9 riots to justice
Former PTI member of National Assembly (MNA) Mansoor Hayat Khan and former Punjab MPA Ammar Siddique Khan, who were with Sarwar during the raid, were also taken into custody.
Former PTI minister Ghulam Sarwar arrested pic.twitter.com/dzwOVlYKSn
— Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) June 21, 2023
May 9 riots
Violent clashes broke out across Pakistan after PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan had been arrested from Islamabad High Court back in May.
The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers were agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order. Army installations and Corps Commander’s house in Lahore came under attack during the protests. The building of Radio Pakistan was also set on fire.
Read more: Unmasking Disinformation: The 9 May Attacks and its Impact on Pakistan
After Imran Khan was released, the government launched a crackdown against the May 9th rioters and have booked many in the case. Subsequently, over 1,900 enraged protesters were rounded up in running battles with law enforcers nationwide while cases were also registered against Imran, his party leaders, and workers.
On Tuesday, a Lahore anti-terrorism court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for PTI chief Imran Khan and several other former and current party leaders in cases pertaining to vandalism during the May 9 riots.