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Security personnel escort a car carrying Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan as he arrives at the High Court in Islamabad on May 9, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, police said, during a court appearance for one of dozens of cases pending since he was booted from office last year.
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“Imran Khan has been arrested in the Qadir Trust case,” the Islamabad Police’s official Twitter account said, referring to a graft case.
“Section 144 is in force in Islamabad,” it said, adding “action will be taken in case of violation”.
His party also confirmed the arrest of the 70-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician. “Khan has been arrested in the Al-Qadeer trust case when he was present in the Islamabad High Court,” his party said in a brief statement.
A top court in Islamabad earlier granted protective bail till May 3 to Mr. Khan in a mutiny case registered against him.
The arrest comes a day after the powerful Army had accused Mr. Khan of levelling baseless allegations against a senior Army officer.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleged that Mr. Khan was being tortured but it was not confirmed independently.
Prohibitory order imposed in Islamabad after arrest
Pakistan police imposed prohibitory orders in Islamabad after several workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party staged protests across Islamabad and created a riot-like situation following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan by paramilitary Rangers.
The Islamabad police said that there was no incident of violence in the country’s capital.
Mr. Khan was arrested by paramilitary Rangers on Tuesday while he was present at the Islamabad High Court for the hearing of a corruption case, a day after he took on the country’s powerful army for allegedly hatching a plot to kill him.
The arrest comes a day after the powerful army had accused Khan of levelling baseless allegations against a senior officer of the spy agency ISI.
The chairman of the PTI, who travelled from Lahore to the federal capital Islamabad, was undergoing a biometric process at the court when the Rangers broke open the glass window and arrested him after beating lawyers and Khan’s security staff, according to senior party leader Shireen Mazari.
Following Mr. Khan’s arrest, Section 144 has been imposed in Islamabad as several PTI workers staged protests across the city and created a riots-like situation, media reports said.
They also blocked roads in Lahore and staged protests, the reports said.
Islamabad police released a statement quoting Inspector General (IG) Akbar Nasir Khan as saying that Mr. Khan was arrested in relation to the case which alleges that the PTI chief and his wife obtained billions of rupees from a real estate firm for legalising Rs 50 billion.
The police chief also said that the situation in Islamabad was “normal”, adding that Section 144 had been imposed in the city and action would be taken against violators.
“Situation is normal. Section 144 is in place and violations will result in police action,” said IG Islamabad.
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.
The police, however, rejected the PTI’s allegations that people were tortured.
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