Tuesday
Imran Khan, a former prime minister of Pakistan, was detained on Tuesday as he entered a courtroom in Islamabad to answer to allegations in numerous graft cases. Khan was taken outside by security personnel, who then stuffed him into an armoured vehicle and drove off.
Fawad Chaudhry, a top official with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, claims that National Accountability Bureau officials took Khan outside the Islamabad High Court and forced him into a police car.The arrest was criticised by Chaudhry as “an abduction.” The 72-year-old Khan was pictured by Pakistan’s independent GEO TV being dragged by security personnel towards an armoured vehicle before being taken away.
Supporters of the well-liked opposition leader and former cricket player turned Islamist politician across the nation condemned the arrest, which represents a sharp uptick in the political situation in Pakistan.A fight broke out between Khan’s supporters and the police outside the court after Khan was hauled away. According to Chaudhry, several police officers as well as some of Khan’s attorneys and supporters were hurt during the altercation. Khan’s party filed a complaint with the Islamabad High Court right once, and the court asked for a police report outlining the reasons behind Khan’s arrest.
Khan was deposed in an April 2022 vote of no confidence. He ran a campaign against his successor’s administration, that of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, calling for early elections, claiming that his removal was unlawful and the result of a Western conspiracy.
Wednesday
In a case brought by the Election Commission on Wednesday, Mr. Khan was accused of allegations that he illegally sold state goods while serving as prime minister. A day after his detention provoked widespread protests, Imran Khan, the former prime leader of Pakistan, entered a not-guilty plea to corruption allegations.
Police report that about 1,000 individuals have been detained and that eight protest-related fatalities have occurred nationally. At the police guesthouse where he is being held, which also serves as a courtroom, there is strict security. During a period of economic distress, the detention sharply increased tensions between Mr. Khan and the military.
If found guilty, the former cricket star and prime minister from 2018 to 2022 will never again be eligible to run for government. Later this year, elections are scheduled.
