The dramatic arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan this week on corruption accusations has been found unlawful by Pakistan's Supreme Court. The court mandated his immediate release.
Khan's legal team said it was wrong to take him into custody from the Islamabad courthouse on Tuesday, May 9.
Since Khan's detention, violent demonstrations have swept the nation, resulting in at least 10 deaths and 2,000 arrests. Tensions between him and the military have been rising, and Tuesday's arrest only made matters worse. Khan had been ousted in a confidence vote in April last year.
'Arrest Was Invalid'
In a report by BBC, the chief justice of Pakistan ordered to bring the opposition leader to the court. The media swarmed the hallways as Khan appeared in court to record his first public appearance since his detention.
Khan, escorted by security, entered the courtroom, which was packed with party leaders and media.
Accompanied by his attorneys, Khan appeared before the three Supreme Court justices. They informed him that his Tuesday arrest was unlawful since it had taken place inside a court building, conducting biometric tests.
"Your arrest was invalid, so the whole process needs to be backtracked," Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial told Khan. He would now be under the protection of the Supreme Court.
Paramilitary troops were seen on video taking Khan out of the courthouse and into an armored truck for his detention. He is now under the protection of the Supreme Court.
The floor was then given to Khan, who spoke out against his detention in a manner that was equal parts defiant and outraged.
During his court appearance on Tuesday, the former cricket star said he was abducted and "hit with sticks" by the men who seized him. The judges repeatedly pointed out to him that there were others who had it far worse.
Violent Protests
His party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), claims the charges against him are politicized. Meanwhile, his supporters have been very violent in the 48 hours after his detention, targeting governmental and military buildings.
Seven prominent members of the PTI leadership and other Khan's supporters have been detained. Ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is among those accused of inciting violence by authorities. Qureshi issued a statement refuting these claims and encouraging followers to maintain a nonviolent protest stance.
Khan has been detained in a police guesthouse in the capital since Tuesday. The next day, the building was converted into a temporary court, and a judge officially charged him with corruption for the first time among the hundreds of charges against him. He entered a not-guilty plea.
The former international cricket star and Pakistan's Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022 would be permanently barred from holding public office if he were convicted. Later this year, elections will be held.
Former Pakistani ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told the BBC that the ruling would help to calm Khan's supporters down.
