ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been arrested in Islamabad by the paramilitary Rangers force, threatening fresh turmoil in the South Asian nation as it faces its most daunting economic crisis to date.
Khan had arrived in the capital city from Lahore and was inside the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for two hearings on Tuesday afternoon when he was arrested in a separate case, the Al-Qadir Trust reference pending before an anti-graft court and relating to the purchase and transfer of land for a university in Punjab province.
The arrest by paramilitary Rangers officials, who reportedly carried arrest warrants, took place a little after 2pm on Tuesday afternoon when Khan entered the building of the IHC. Media reported paramilitary troops had to break several doors, jump through smashed windows and scuffle with Khan’s supporters and lawyers before arresting him and driving off with him in a black Vigo.
“I’m mentally ready to be arrested,” Khan had said in a video message to supporters before he left Lahore for Islamabad.
Khan will be presented before a National Accountability Court tomorrow, Wednesday. His medical examination, usual for suspects after arrests, was carried out on Tuesday.
NAB in a statement said Khan was booked under Section 9A of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, which relates to “corruption and corrupt practices.”
“The arrest was ordered and implemented by the NAB,” the accountability watchdog said in a statement. “Rangers troops were deployed for the action on the orders of the Ministry of the Interior.”
Police in Islamabad imposed section 144 in the capital, banning public gatherings to preempt protests and rallies in support of Khan. Previous attempts to arrest Khan from his Lahore residence resulted in heavy clashes between his supporters and law enforcement personnel earlier this year.
Meanwhile, local media reported that Khan supporters were gathering in various cities in the country, from Gilgit in the north to Karachi in the south. In the past, Khan has led massive rallies and protest marches in Pakistan.
Since being ousted from power in a parliamentary no-trust vote last April, over 100 cases have been registered against Khan in various courts in the country, with charges ranging from corruption to terrorism and sedition.
Khan says the cases are politically motivated to crack down on his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, arguably the most popular political party in the country. In recent months, many senior Khan aides have had cases registered against them and been arrested.
The fresh political crisis comes as Pakistan and the IMF are in ongoing talks aimed to resume stalled funding of $1.1 billion due in November from a $6.5-billion program agreed in 2019. The measures have fueled highest ever inflation, posted at 36.4 percent in April.
The IMF funding is crucial for Pakistan to avert default on its external payment obligations during a balance of payment crisis, in which foreign exchange reserves have shrunk to just four weeks of controlled imports.
Khan’s arrest also comes on the heels of the army’s warning about legal action over accusations by Khan that a serving military official, Maj Gen Faisal Naseer, was plotting to kill him.
Just hours before his arrest, Khan doubled down on the allegations in a video message.
