Imran Khan, a former prime minister of Pakistan, was arrested on Tuesday by paramilitary Rangers outside the Islamabad High Court. He was present for a corruption case hearing and had accused the country’s army of plotting to kill him. Khan was taken into custody in relation to the Al-Qadir trust case, where he and his wife were suspected of obtaining billions of rupees from a real estate firm for legalizing Rs50 billion. More than 120 cases have been registered against the 70-year-old leader.
After Khan’s arrest, section 144 was imposed in Islamabad as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers staged protests across the city. They also took to the streets in Lahore and other parts of the country. PTI said that Khan appeared for bail renewal in the case. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had summoned him several times to appear before it but he did not. The leader will be presented before the NAB court on Wednesday.
Visuals showed rangers coming in large numbers at the Islamabad High Court. Rangers took Khan into custody when he appeared in court for anti-graft charges and was doing biometrics inside. Islamabad police said that Khan had been arrested in relation to the case that alleges he and his wife obtained billions of rupees from a real estate firm for legalizing Rs50 billion.
Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq has asked the Islamabad police chief, the interior ministry secretary, and the additional attorney general to appear before the court soon as the NAB may seek Imran Khan’s custody.
