JAKARTA - Pakistan's anti-corruption agency arrested former Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday, in a dramatic move that threatens the new turmoil in this nuclear-armed nation, as it calls for "shut-out" protests nationwide.
The arrest footage shows dozens of security officers in riot control gear surrounding Khan and leading him to a black van.
Dozens of supporters blocked the streets of Khan's hometown of Lahore, where police have been alerted. Protesters also blocked a main road in the port city of Karachi, according to eyewitnesses.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Party Tereek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by Khan asked its supporters to "cover up Pakistan".
"This is the time for you, the Pakistani people. Khan has always defended you, now is the time for you to defend him," PTI wrote on Twitter.
My reply to ISPR & attempts by PDM & their handlers to arrest me for two reasons: 1. To prevent me from campaigning bec InshaAllah when elections are announced I will be doing jalsas. 2. To prevent me from mobilising the masses for street movement in support of Constitution if… pic.twitter.com/IQIQmFERah
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 9, 2023
My reply to ISPR & attends by PDM & their handlers to arrest me for two reasons: 1. To prevent me from campaigning bec InshaAllah when elections are announced I will be doing jalsas. 2. To prevent me from mobilizing the mass for street movement in support of Constitution if... pic.twitter.com/IQIQmFERah
Khan's arrest comes at a time when the Pakistani people are shaken by the worst economic crisis in recent decades, with a record high inflation and anemia. This is also the case amid a dispute with the military which will last until 2021.
Meanwhile, a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been delayed for months, although foreign exchange reserves are barely sufficient to finance imports for a month.
Previous attempts to arrest Khan from his home in Lahore resulted in major clashes between his supporters and law enforcement officials.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said in a Tweet, Khan was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after he did not appear despite a call.
NAB issued a warrant for Khan's arrest on May 1, according to a warrant seen by Reuters.
Rangers abducted PTI Chairman Imran Khan, these are the visuals. Pakistan’s brave people must come out and defend their country. pic.twitter.com/hJwG42hsE4
— PTI (@PTIofficial) May 9, 2023
Rangers applied PTI Chairman Imran Khan, these are the visuals. Pakistan s brave people must come out and defend their country. pic.twitter.com/hJwG42hsE4
"Khan is accused of committing criminal acts of corruption and corrupt practices," the warrant read.
The corruption charges against Khan were not immediately clear. Khan's corruption case is one of more than 100 cases he has faced since he was ousted from power in a parliamentary vote in April last year. He has served four of his five years in office.
In most cases, Khan is threatened with being banned from holding public office if found guilty. Meanwhile, the upcoming national elections will be held in November.
It is known that political disputes are common in Pakistan, where no prime minister has served for a full period, while the military has been in power for nearly half of the country's history.
Khan's arrest came a day after the military issued a rare public rebuke at him, accusing a senior military official of constantly trying to kill him, and the former military chief was behind attempts to overthrow him from power.
Despite being reprimanded, Khan retaliated on Tuesday morning, repeating his allegations and adding that the same officer, Major General Faisal Naseer of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), was responsible for the murder of a well-known Pakistani journalist in Kenya in October.
The military is still Pakistan's most powerful institution, despite its great influence, recently saying they no longer interfered in politics.
Meanwhile, Khan and the military clashed in 2021 after years of close cooperation. Khan's opponents and many prominent critics say Khan was assisted by the military to rule in the 2018 elections. Khan denies this.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
