Lahore, Jun 22 (PTI) The level of oppression against women and children has surged to its highest under the current government led by the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), former prime minister Imran Khan said on Thursday, emphasising that more and more civilians are joining his party.

Khan, 70, who is facing a number of legal cases filed by the PML-N against him, said that the regime was trying its best to isolate him and has stooped to the lowest.

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"This level of fascism and oppression against women and children has never been witnessed before in our country, not even during the worst martial law days," Khan said in a tweet in reaction to the recent arrests of his party leaders.

According to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, law enforcement agencies have so far arrested over 10,000 of its workers across Pakistan, most of them from Punjab. Some 74 prisoners have been handed over to the military for their court-martial under the Army Act.

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More than 140 PTI leaders and former lawmakers have succumbed to pressure so far and joined the Istekham-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) led by another deserter of PTI Jahangir Khan Tareen.

The IPP is being dumbed as the 'king's party' carved out of the PTI by the powerful military establishment.

PTI's former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar was the latest on Thursday who announced quitting the part in police custody.

He said the PML-N government has stopped its lowest to isolate him.

"How low has this regime sunk simply to isolate me? The reverse is happening in fact, our public is repulsed by all those in power while more and more people are joining PTI," Khan said.

He lambasted the PML-N government for arresting the wife of former Punjab governor and PTI leader Omer Cheema.

"Absolutely shameful how (former Punjab governor) Omer Cheema's wife was illegally arrested from outside the Anti-Terrorism Court on Thursday where she had come for her husband's hearing who is in prison for over a month now (on the charges of attacking military installations). Also, PTI Chakwal President Ali Nasir Bhatti's son, a school-going boy, has been picked up," he said.

Amnesty International has also expressed its strong concern over the crackdown on voices critical of the state and military.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)