Why has Imran Khan been arrested and what happens next?

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested Tuesday as he appeared in a court in the country’s capital, Islamabad, to face charges in multiple graft cases.

It is understood that his arrest was in relation to the accusation that he, his wife and other associates made a financial settlement between his ruling government and a property tycoon that caused a loss of £190 billion to the treasury.

Security agents dragged Khan outside and shoved him into an armoured car before whisking him away, dramatic video showed, sparking outrage from his supporters across the country.

His arrest follows months of political crisis and comes hours after the powerful military rebuked the former international cricketer for alleging a senior officer had been involved in a plot to kill him, which saw an assassination attempt last year.

More than 100 cases – including corruption and terrorism – have been registered against Khan since he was ousted from power in April last year. In most of the cases, Khan faces being barred from holding public office if convicted.

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan (pictured) was arrested Tuesday as he appeared in a court in the country's capital, Islamabad, to face charges in multiple graft cases

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan (pictured) was arrested Tuesday as he appeared in a court in the country’s capital, Islamabad, to face charges in multiple graft cases

Imran Khan (seen in blue and white in the middle of a scrum of armoured police officers in Islamabad today) was arrested and led away during a court hearing, dramatic footage shows, with his supporters claiming he is being tortured

Imran Khan (seen in blue and white in the middle of a scrum of armoured police officers in Islamabad today) was arrested and led away during a court hearing, dramatic footage shows, with his supporters claiming he is being tortured

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told reporters that Khan had been arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in relation to the Al-Qadir Trust case, after he did not appear ‘despite notices’.

He said the charges against Khan were that he and his wife had received land worth up to 7 billion rupees (£19.5billion) from a land developer that had been charged with money laundering by British authorities.

He added that British authorities had returned 190 million pounds to Pakistan in connection with money laundering, which Khan then returned to the land developer instead of keeping it in the national exchequer.

Sanaullah said Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi then received the land, as well as 5 billion rupees from Bahria Town (an Islamabad-based real estate company) for ‘providing protection’ to the real estate firm. 

The couple, along with their close aides Zulfiqar Bukhari and Babar Awan, were involved in the Al-Qadir University Project Trust, which is currently building the Al-Qadir University in Sohawa, Pakistan near Islamabad.

According to reports in the country, the trust was formed by Khan, Bushra Bibi, Bukhari, and Awan with the intention of importing quality education into the region.

It is understood that the funds and land were given to the couple through the Al-Qadir Trust, which had only two trustees: Khan and his wife.

Khan had denied wrongdoing.

The NAB issued Khan’s arrest warrant on May 1, according to an order seen by Reuters news agency, which read: ‘Khan is accused of commission of the offence of corruption and corrupt practices.’

Khan will be brought before an anti-graft court on Wednesday, GEO TV said.

However, Khan’s arrest has sparked angry protests across the country. 

Private security personnel with bulletproof shields escort former Prime Minister Imran Khan as he arrives to appear in a court, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, May 9

Private security personnel with bulletproof shields escort former Prime Minister Imran Khan as he arrives to appear in a court, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, May 9

Security personnel use bullet proof shields to protect Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan as he arrives at the high court in Islamabad on May 9

Security personnel use bullet proof shields to protect Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan as he arrives at the high court in Islamabad on May 9

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party called on supporters to ‘shut down Pakistan’. ‘It’s your time, people of Pakistan. Khan has always stood for you, now it’s time to stand for him,’ the PTI wrote on Twitter.

As the news of the arrest spread, about 4,000 of Khan’s supporters stormed the official residence of the top regional commander in Lahore, smashing windows and doors, damaging furniture and staging a sit-in as troops there retreated to avoid violence. The protesters also burned police vehicles and blocked key roads..

Protesters also smashed the main gate of the army’s headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, where troops exercised restraint. Hundreds of demonstrators shouted pro-Khan slogans as they moved toward the sprawling building.

In the port city of Karachi, police swung batons and fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Khan supporters who had gathered on a key road.

Khan, 70, a cricket hero-turned-politician, has shown no sign of slowing down since he was ousted, even after being wounded in a November attack on his convoy as he led a protest march to Islamabad calling for snap general elections.

His arrest comes at a time when ordinary Pakistanis are reeling from the worst economic crisis in decades, with record high inflation and anaemic growth.

An International Monetary Fund bailout package has been delayed for months even though foreign exchange reserves are barely enough to cover a month’s imports.

Previous attempts to arrest Khan from his Lahore home resulted in heavy clashes between his supporters and law enforcement personnel.

The PTI said it had called an emergency meeting of senior leaders to discuss their response to the arrest.

With a national election scheduled for November, Khan has claimed that the string of cases against him, which include terrorism charges, are a plot by Sharif’s government to discredit the former cricket star turned Islamist politician.

Khan served four of his five-year term before he was ousted.

Khan is the seventh former prime minister to be arrested in Pakistan. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was arrested and hanged in 1979.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party activists and supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan block a road as they protest against the arrest of their leader in Islamabad on May 9, 2023. Imran Khan was arrested on May 9

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party activists and supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan block a road as they protest against the arrest of their leader in Islamabad on May 9, 2023. Imran Khan was arrested on May 9

The current prime minister’s brother, Nawaz Sharif, who also served as prime minister, was arrested on several occasions over corruption allegations.

In March, police stormed Khan’s Lahore residence, seeking to arrest him based on a court order in a different case. Dozens of people, including policemen, were injured in ensuing clashes. Khan was not arrested at the time and later got bail in the case.

Khan came to power in 2018 after winning parliamentary elections. His initially good relations with the country’s military soured gradually. 

The military has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of the 75 years since the country gained independence from British colonial rule, and wields considerable power over civilian governments. 

source: dailymail.co.uk