Ex-Pakistani premier Khan arrested in Islamabad

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested on the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday.

Khan, who also heads the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, was in the court in connection with a corruption case hearing. He was detained by the Rangers.

Faisal Chaudhry, a PTI lawyer, verified the detention of the party chief. Immediately afterwards, the IHC chief justice ordered the Islamabad police chief, the interior secretary and others to appear before him within 15 minutes.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif would be summoned if the Islamabad police chief did not appear, the chief judge warned.

A security source told Pajhwok Afghan News Khan was wanted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He said the ex-premier had been shifted to the NAB office in Rawalpindi.

The source revealed the NAB chairman signed the arrest warrants for the PTI leader before flying abroad.

In Lahore, a large number of supporters gathered outside Khan’s residence and chanted slogans against the government for what called their leader’s victimisation.

Similar protests were triggered in other major cities, including Karachi and Peshawar. PTI activists denounced Khan’s arrest called for his immediate release.

Hours earlier, Khan assailed a senior intelligence officer of involvement in a plot to assassinate him. The allegations came in a video message.

Meanwhile, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that the IHC had been “occupied by the Rangers” and lawyers were being subjected to torture.”

“Imran Khan has been whisked away by unknown people to an unknown location,” Chaudhry wrote in another tweet, without going into details.

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