Imran Arrested, Violence And Protests Rock Pak

ISLAMABAD, (IANS) – Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was arrested by the Rangers paramilitary force from the Islamabad High Court on May 8, a dramatic move that threatens to spark fresh turmoil in the country as protests erupted in multiple cities across Pakistan on his party’s call.

Video broadcast on local TV channels showed Khan – who has a pronounced limp since being shot at during an assassination attempt last year – being manhandled by dozens of paramilitary rangers into an armored car inside the Islamabad High Court premises.

Khan’s arrest came a day after the military warned him against making “baseless allegations” after he again accused a senior army officer of plotting to kill him.

The rebuke later on May 8 underscored how far Khan’s relations have deteriorated with the military, which backed his rise to power in 2018 but withdrew its support ahead of a parliamentary vote of confidence that ousted him from power last year.

According to the Islamabad IG, Khan has been taken to the National Accountability Bureau office in Rawalpindi.

Since his removal from power last year, Khan has been slapped with dozens of charges, which he denies and says are politically motivated.