ISLAMABAD: The party’s leaders Shehryar Afridi and Ali Muhammad Khan were arrested shortly after being released from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Tuesday, Geo News reported. Similarly, non-bailable arrest warrants for Senator Azam Swati were also issued by an Islamabad court.

Afridi, along with his wife, was picked up on May 16 from his residence in Islamabad under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance 1960, which enables the government to arrest persons “acting in any manner prejudicial to public safety”. His wife, however, was released later on the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Soon after his release from jail, police officials again took him into custody and transported him to an undisclosed location. According to the jail administration, Afridi was released on completion of his “house arrest” period under the MPO. The Rawalpindi deputy commissioner has extended Afridi’s house arrest under MPO for another 15 days.

Similarly, Ali Muhammad, who was arrested from Islamabad on May 21 by Islamabad police under Section 3 of MPO and released on orders of Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench, was rearrested. The PTI leader was again taken into custody from outside the Adiala Jail under Section 3 of MPO by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, the Islamabad police said in a statement.

The duo was apprehended after violent protests, triggered by the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan from the IHC in the Al-Qadir Trust case, erupted across the country.