In unprecedented scenes, supporters of former prime minister Imran on Tuesday stormed the Pakistan Army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore after his dramatic arrest in a corruption case.
Khan, who travelled from Lahore to the federal capital Islamabad, was undergoing a biometric process at the Islamabad High Court when the paramilitary Rangers broke open the glass window and arrested him after beating lawyers and Khan’s security staff.
Khan was arrested on Tuesday in an Al-Qadir trust case by paramilitary Rangers from outside the Islamabad High Court. A heavy contingent of Rangers departed with the 70-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician. The arrest of the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman comes a day after the powerful army accused him of levelling baseless allegations against a senior officer of the spy agency ISI.
As the news of his arrest by the Rangers spread, massive protests broke out in several cities across Pakistan. Protesters at several places turned violent and burned police vehicles and damaged public property.
According to the sources, NAB officials had warrants for Imran Khan’s arrest. IG Islamabad has informed that Section 144 is in force and action will be taken on violation. Khan’s PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry stated that the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was taken into custody by the Rangers when he appeared in court on anti-graft charges.
PTI leader Musarrat Cheema, in a video message on Twitter, said: “They are torturing Imran Khan right now […] they are beating Khan sahib. They have done something with Khan sahib.”
Former information minister and PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry further claimed “Rangers have occupied the court” and lawyers “are being subjected to torture”.
“Imran Khan’s car has been surrounded,” he added. PTI leader Azhar Mashwani alleged that Imran Khan was “abducted” from inside the court by the Rangers. He also informed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had given an immediate call for staging protests in the country.
