Intl desk, May 09: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been arrested by the military, his aide said on Tuesday.
Khan was taken into custody at a court in Islamabad in a corruption case, reports Reuters citing local broadcaster Geo TV.
Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Khan in Al-Qadir Trust case from outside the premises of Islamabad High Court where he had gone to seek bail in multiple FIRs registered against him.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq ordered the Islamabad police chief, the secretary of the interior ministry, and the additional attorney general to come before the court within 15 minutes, as disclosed by PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry to Dawn.com.
The IHC CJ said that he was showing “restraint” and warned that he would “summon” the prime minister if the Islamabad police chief did not appear before the court.
“Come to court and tell us why Imran has been arrested and in which case,” Justice Farooq said.
Inspector General (IG) Akbar Nasir Khan was quoted in a statement released by the Islamabad police department as claiming that Imran had been arrested in connection with a case involving allegations that the PTI chief and his wife illegally received billions of rupees from a real estate firm.
A copy of Imran’s arrest warrant, which reveals that it was issued on 1 May, has been seen on the internet where Imran was cited as having been charged with corruption and corrupt practice in violation of Section 9(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.
A Reuters witness said shortly after Imran entered the gate of the IHC, contingents of paramilitary forces and armoured personnel carriers entered after him.
The gate was blocked by the armoured vehicles while Khan was whisked away shortly after under heavy security, the witness added.
A day after the Pakistan Army warned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan against maligning serving officers, the former prime minister referred to the institution and Pakistan as his own clarifying there is no need for him to lie, reports The News.
“This is my army and my Pakistan. I don’t need to lie,” Khan said in a video statement on Tuesday.
The PTI chairman’s comments come a day after the army censured him for “irresponsible and baseless allegations” against an incumbent senior military officer of the armed forces.
Commenting on the likelihood of going to jail, the PTI chief said: “If someone has a warrant, they should directly bring it to me. Bring the warrant, my lawyer will be there. I’m ready to go to the jail myself.”
“There is no case against me. I’m mentally prepared to be arrested. If I have to go to jail, I’m ready,” Khan said.
The former premier’s imprisonment comes after numerous failed attempts to apprehend him, including a police raid on his home in Lahore’s Zaman Park, which he successfully evaded.
After being defeated in a vote of no-confidence in April 2022, the former cricketer who became a politician has been calling for early elections.
Emboldened by strong support in opinion polls and rallies, Imran Khan has shown no signs of backing down against the government and the army and is seeking support from the Supreme Court to hold polls in two provinces for a start.
Imran Khan, 70, is entangled in numerous legal disputes and was scheduled to get a formal indictment on Wednesday in relation to claims that he failed to disclose earnings from the sale of gifts from the government while in office.
Khan’s graft case is one of over 100 registered against him since he was ousted from power in a parliamentary vote in April last year, reports Reuters. He served four of his five-year term.
In most of the cases, Khan faces being barred from holding public office if convicted, with a national election scheduled for November.
‘Imran abducted; dozens tortured‘
PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that the IHC has been “occupied by the Rangers” and lawyers “are being subjected to torture”.
“Imran Khan’s car has been surrounded,” he added.
In another tweet, Fawad alleged that Imran had been “abducted” from the court premises while score of lawyers and general people had been “tortured”.
“Imran Khan has been whisked away by unknown people to an unknown location,” he said.
Despite receiving numerous notices, according to interior minister Rana Sanaullah, Imran did not show up in court. He added that Imran was not subjected to torture and stated that the National Accountability Bureau was responsible for Imran’s arrest for causing losses to the national treasury.
PTI leader Hammad Azhar said that Imran’s arrest was “not acceptable” and asserted that the PTI chief “is our red line”. He called on the nation to take to the streets against Imran’s arrest.
PTI’s Azhar Mashwani alleged that Imran had been “abducted” from inside the court by Rangers. He said that the party had given an immediate call for staging protests in the country, adds the Dawn report.
PTI leader Musarrat Cheema, in a video message on Twitter, said: “They are torturing Imran Khan right now […] they are beating Khan sahib. They have done something with Khan sahib.”
PTI’s official Twitter account also shared the video of Imran’s lawyer, saying that he was “badly injured” outside the IHC.
It also shared a video of visuals from Imran’s alleged arrest. “Pakistan’s brave people must come out and defend their country,” the party said.
Reports of protests in various cities
In the meantime, protests were reported in multiple communities across the nation.
At the Liberty Chowk in Lahore, PTI supporters headed by Senator Ejaz Chaudhry gathered. The correspondent for Dawn.com on the site reported that party members had also shut down Akbar Chowk, Peco Road, Main Canal Road, and Faisal Town.
The protesters burned tyres and chanted slogans in opposition to the coalition government. Outside of Imran’s residence in Zaman Park, PTI supporters tore down government banners.
PTI MNAs and MPAs barred both lanes of the Sharea Faisal in Karachi by blocking the roads.
Separately, the Sindh chapter of the PTI issued a protest call, requesting that supporters assemble at 4pm outside the Insaf House.
Also reported were demonstrations in Peshawar’s Hashtnagri.
The Al-Qadir case
The NAB is investigating the former prime minister, his wife Bushra Bibi, and other PTI figures in relation to a deal the PTI government made with a real estate mogul that reportedly cost the national exchequer 190 million pounds, reports Pakistani media outlet The News.
According to the accusations, Khan and the other defendants allegedly changed Rs50 billion (190 million pounds at the time), which was handed to the government by the British National Crime Agency (NCA).
Additionally, they are charged with receiving illegal benefits in the form of more than 458 kanals of land in Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, for the construction of Al Qadir University.
