Imran Khan Arrested: In another dramatic turn of events, Pakistan’s former cricket captain and Prime Minister, Imran Khan has been arrested on Tuesday. His party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that hundreds of Paramilitary Rangers (Pakistan’s paramilitary force) “abducted” him from outside the Islamabad High Court. The 1992 World Cup winner was in the High Court for a hearing on anti-graft charges. PTI has alleged torture in custody. Following his arrest, nation-wide protests broke out with thousands of supporters taking the streets. Follow Pakistan Cricket LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
Another arrest video of Imran Khan. pic.twitter.com/uOg8FV2dGn
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) May 9, 2023
Khan was arrested at around 2:15 PM local time. The Paramilitary Rangers handed him over to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Former information minister and PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said that the court has been “occupied by the Rangers” and lawyers “are being subjected to torture”. “Imran Khan’s car has been surrounded,” he added.
Another PTI leader Azhar Mashwani alleged that 70-year-old Khan had been “abducted” from inside the court by the Rangers. He said that the party had given an immediate call for staging protests in the country.
this video is for those who think IMRAN KHAN WAS SCARED TO BE ARRESTED pic.twitter.com/tqFpo5zJN1
— Huda (@britneybichhh1) May 9, 2023
“They are torturing Imran Khan right now […] they are beating Khan sahib. They have done something with Khan sahib,” Cheema said in a video message posted on the party’s Twitter handle.
Why was Imran Khan Arrested?
Although details remain unclear, as per reports, his arrest is linked to Al Qadir University which Imran Khan founded in 2019. The allegation is that Imran Khan had a quid-pro-quo with Pakistani businessman Malik Raza who donated the land for the university. The UK National Crime Agency confiscated Raza’s assets worth 190 million pounds and returned them to Pakistan.
However, this is not the first time, twice before Pakistan paramilitary and police force tried to arrest Imran Khan. But their attempts were thwarted by large number of supporters.
The current Pakistan government, which replaced Imran Khan’s government last year in April following a vote of no confidence, has called for his arrest on several occasions.
Currently, a city-wide curfew under section 144 is in place in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.
Editors pick
