Former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar was arrested from Islamabad early on Wednesday, Rawalpindi Police have confirmed, adding that he was taken into custody in connection to the May 9 riots.
According to local media, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader was arrested during a joint raid carried out by the Rawalpindi and capital police. Reportedly, former MNA Mansoor Hayat Khan and ex-Punjab MPA Ammar Siddique Khan were also arrested during the raid. All the arrested have been shifted to a police station in Taxila.
Speaking with daily Dawn, a spokesperson for the Rawalpindi Police said authorities had been searching for the former aviation minister since the May 9 riots, as he is a suspect in a case of incitement. Unlike several other PTI leaders, Sarwar has maintained silence over the riots for over a month and has also not made any moves to exit the PTI or quit active politics.
The May 9 riots, triggered by the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan in a corruption case, saw demonstrators nationwide attacking civil and military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander’s house and the General Headquarter building in Rawalpindi. The military has described the events as a “black day” in Pakistan’s history and has vowed to ensure all culprits are prosecuted under all relevant laws, including the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act.
In recent weeks, there have been growing calls against civilians being tried in military courts, but a recent resolution adopted by the National Assembly stressed that the rioters should be tried and convicted under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 “without a delay of even a single day.”