Paramilitary troops detained Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan outside a courthouse in Islamabad on Tuesday, May 9. Authorities were seen in the footage encircling Khan and forcing him into an armored vehicle.
Another arrest video of Imran Khan. pic.twitter.com/uOg8FV2dGn
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) May 9, 2023
Currently in Jail
Khan, the leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), one of the country's most prominent political parties, was in the Islamabad High Court to attend hearings for his bail petitions in the politically driven corruption allegations against him.
According to CNBC, Khan's detention comes after recent contentious confrontations between the former cricket captain and Pakistan's strong army. Khan became Pakistan's prime minister in 2018.
After narrowly dodging an assassination attempt in November 2022, Khan publicly blamed Pakistan's current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a senior military commander, for the plot.
This week, an army representative reprimanded Khan for making "highly irresponsible and baseless allegations against a serving senior military officer without any evidence." Khan responded in a video message on Tuesday by declaring, "This is my army and my Pakistan. I don't need to lie."
If Khan continues to make false charges, the military will take legal action, according to the spokesperson.
The PTI and Khan's backers have called for a nationwide shutdown of Pakistan, complete with roadblocks and massive demonstrations, to press for Khan's release.
One tweet from the PTI's official page used "#ReleaseImranKhan" as relevant keywords, along with a graphic that read "SHUTDOWN PAKISTAN."
Foul Play?
Despite his widespread popularity in the nation, 70-year-old Khan was removed from office in April 2022 due to a motion of no confidence initiated by opposition lawmakers who claimed he had engaged in corruption and unlawful conduct. The highest court in the land upheld the accusations.
Khan's numerous followers are outraged because the Pakistani electoral commission banned him from running for office again in October 2022. They accuse the commission of foul play.
CNBC reported that since the US has a convoluted history with the government of Pakistan, Khan and his allies have claimed that his removal was orchestrated by Sharif and the US. Both Sharif and Washington strongly refuted the allegations.
Many of Khan's supporters, unfazed by his legal problems, still expect him to win elections later this year and return him as the prime minister again. Many political observers believe the accusations against him will be dismissed, making him a strong contender.
Khan is one of the most well-known people in Pakistan and across South Asia due to his success as the leader of the Pakistan cricket team in the 1980s and 1990s. He eventually entered politics and established the PTI in 1996.
After a string of defeats early in his political career, Khan's party ran on a populist platform that paid off in 2018. It gained the most seats in Pakistan's National Assembly, and Khan became prime minister.
