PAKISTAN: Judges granted Imran Khan protected bail and prohibited him from being apprehended until May 17. The corruption allegations against him remain valid, and he was arrested on Tuesday. He pleaded not guilty and was arrested at a courthouse in Islamabad.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the country’s main anti-corruption organisation, issued an arrest warrant for Imran Khan, Pakistan’s PM from 2018 to 2022, outside the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial ruled that Khan’s arrest was illegal and the “whole process” must be reversed. Tensions between Imran Khan and Pakistan’s military have increased due to the dramatic story, with many commentators believing his victory in the 2018 election was aided by the military.
He later parted ways with the army, losing his majority in parliament due to defections and economic problems. He is also accused of accepting gifts from foreign leaders while serving as prime minister, and then selling them. However, PTI party claims the accusations are politically motivated.
Khan’s arrest sparked rioting, with atleast 10 supporters of former PM killed and 2,000 taken into custody. A military commander’s Lahore home was attacked and set on fire, and the nation is still on edge after the army was stationed.
Judges instructed Imran Khan to denounce the violence and order PTI supporters to halt due to criticism of the party’s inciting unrest. Shehbaz Sharif, the current prime minister of Pakistan, attacked the Supreme Court’s decision to release Khan, claiming it had resulted in “the death of justice in Pakistan”.
He also lambasted Imran Khan and his party for using incendiary language and enticing demonstrators to take to the streets. He declared, “Imran Khan has split the country.”
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