The police on Friday expanded its crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) top-tier leadership as the party's Senior Vice-President Shireen Mazari and Punjab's former health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid were arrested from Islamabad and Lahore respectively, The News reported.

Mazari was apprehended at her residence during a pre-dawn raid in Islamabad under section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) while Dr Rashid was arrested from an unknown place in Lahore.

The former provincial minister was hiding to avoid the arrest, PTI's senior leader Andaleeb Abbas said.

Police had taken her close family members into custody two days ago but her husband was released after his health deteriorated. Dr Rashid's brother-in-law is still in police custody, Abbas said, The News reported.

There are a number of cases filed against Dr Yasmin Rashid, including that of an attack on Lahore Corps Commander's residence.

The two women politicians' arrests come after several other PTI leaders were taken into custody since Tuesday's violent protests that erupted after Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court on May 9.

Other PTI leaders currently under arrest include Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Ali Mohammad Khan, and Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, The News reported.

In a significant legal victory for the PTI on May 11, the Supreme Court declared Imran Khan's arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case "illegal" and ordered the authorities to release him "immediately".

The apex court had sent the PTI chief to the Police Lines Guest House, with instructions to present himself before the IHC, the same court which declared his arrest legal. [IANS/NS]