Former Pakistan Prime Minister and PTI chief Imran Khan has been arrested from outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by Pakistani Rangers, news agency ANI quoted Pakistan’s Dawn News as reporting today (May 9, Tuesday). Imran Khan had reportedly gone to the Islamabad HC to seek bail in multiple FIRs registered against him.
Former Pakistan PM & PTI chief Imran Khan has been arrested from outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by Rangers, reports Pakistan's Dawn News pic.twitter.com/FHFTw3wUbr
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2023
According to local media, the PTI chairman was taken in a black Vigo by the law enforcement agency.
The PTI chief reportedly has been arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case of the National Accountability Bureau as well as the Toshakhana case.
Islamabad Police, meanwhile, took to its official Twitter handle to confirm that Imran Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case, adding that the situation is under control.
عمران خان کو قادر ٹرسٹ کیس میں گرفتار کیاگیا ہے۔ آئی جی اسلام آباد ۔
— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) May 9, 2023
حالات معمول کے مطابق ہیں ۔ آئی جی اسلام آباد
دفعہ 144 نافذ العمل ہے خلاف ورزی کی صورت میں کارروائی عمل میں لائی جائے گی ۔
Taking to his Twitter, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry alleged that Khan had been “abducted” from the court premises while a score of lawyers and general people had been “tortured”.
Former PM Imran Khan has been abducted from Court premises, scores of lawyers and general people have been tortured, Imran Khan has been whisked away by unknown people to an unknown location, CJ Islamabad HIgh Court has ordered Secy interior and IG police to appear within 15 min…
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) May 9, 2023
“Imran Khan has been whisked away by unknown people to an unknown location,” he claimed.
“They are torturing Imran Khan right now…they are beating Khan sahib. They have done something to Khan sahib,” PTI leader Musarrat Cheema shared a video where she is making this statement.
بدترین فسطائیت. ایک قاتل اور ظالم کو بچانے کے لیے قومی لیڈر پر بدترین تشدد اور گرفتاری pic.twitter.com/Cv7S4DkT3N
— Musarrat Cheema (@MusarratCheema) May 9, 2023
In March this year, a Pakistan court judge had said that he would halt the arrest of the country’s former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case, only if Khan surrendered in the court.
Additionally, reports emerged that the court in Islamabad cancelled Imran Khan’s arrest warrant after intense clashes between police and the former prime minister’s supporters outside the judicial complex.
A report published in Dawn read legislators from the ruling coalition filed the reference last year, alleging that Imran had not disclosed information about the gifts he had received from the Toshaskhana (during his tenure as prime minister) and the money from their alleged sales. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) reached the conclusion that the former premier had in fact made “false statements and erroneous declarations” about the presents on October 21.
The Toshakhana is a division of the Cabinet Division that houses presents that foreign dignitaries and the heads of other states have given to monarchs and officials.
Imran was declared ineligible according to Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution, according to the order.
The ECP then submitted a copy of the reference to the Islamabad Sessions Court, requesting that Imran be charged with a crime for allegedly lying to officials about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries while serving as prime minister, Dawn reported.
