The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday directed law enforcement authorities to release Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Yasmin Rashid “immediately”.

During a hearing of a petition seeking the release of Rashid, the court suspended her arrest which was made a day ago.

“If she is not required in any criminal case, then she should be released,” LHC stated.

The petition claimed that Rashid was not named in a first information report filed at the Sarwar Road police station and was taken into custody illegally.

The PTI leader was arrested by authorities on Friday.

“PTI’s Iron Lady Dr Yasmin Rashid has been arrested! They think they can stop this movement by these arrests, they don’t know that Pakistan has changed forever. We are all Imran Khan now,” PTI tweeted.

Alongside Rashid, PTI leader Shireen Mazari was also detained by law enforcement agencies.

Her arrest followed detainment of PTI Chairman Imran Khan by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday.

Authorities also arrested PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Falaknaz Chitrali, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, Maleeka Bokhari, Ijaz Chaudhry, and Ali Mohammad Khan.

Islamabad Police said on Thursday said their arrests were made for inciting arson and violent protests under a well-thought out plan for threatening peace.

All these leaders were arrested after fulfilling legal requirements. The police warned that further arrests were also expected.

Nearly 2,000 people were arrested and at least eight have been killed since protest started across Pakistan, as per Reuters.

Hundreds of protesters blocked highways, main entry and exit routes to all major cities, attacking and burning state buildings, police and public vehicles and rampaged through army installations.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan deemed Imran’s arrest Illegal and ordered immediate release. On Friday, the Islamabad High Court granted bail to PTI chairman and restrained authorities from arresting him in any case till May 17.