Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) former general secretary Asad Umar was arrested Sunday from his residence in Islamabad, Aaj News reported.

According to sources, Umar was detained in connection with the cipher case.

The former finance minister was taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the F-8 area of Islamabad.

Umar has been taken into custody twice in the past three months, first in connection with a case involving May 9 violence and now in connection with the cipher case.

In related news, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was arrested in the capital a day ago on similar charges.

These developments come after the FIA registered a case against PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan for allegedly losing a copy of a diplomatic cipher.

Sources said that the first information report (FIR) against Khan was registered by the Counter-Terrorism Wing of the FIA.

A joint inquiry team has already started the investigation following the direction of the previous government regarding charges of prejudicing the national security and interest of the state by directly revealing, without proper authorisation, the classified information by the former prime minister Imran Khan, his political associates, and the secretary to the former prime minister through cipher telegram, its subsequent misuse, and unauthorised retention. Khan appeared on July 25 before the investigation team and recorded his statement.

They said that the inquiry team also conducted an investigation of Khan at Attock jail a few days ago.

They said that former prime minister’s principal secretary Azam Khan also appeared before the investigation team at the FIA headquarters after he was summoned.