The legal epic of the former Pakistani Prime Minister continues. After being arrested on May 9 in a corruption case, he was released three days later on bail. Imran Khan is due to appear in court again on Monday.
The arrest of the 70-year-old man sparked violent clashes in several cities between security forces and supporters of his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). They had damaged public buildings and – a rare occurrence – symbols of military power. At least nine people were killed, hundreds of police officers injured and more than 7,000 people arrested, mainly in the provinces of Punjab (east) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (northwest), according to the authorities.
New appearance
On Monday, Imran Khan is due in a Lahore court to answer charges that he planned the violence that followed his arrest, one of his lawyers said. “Khan will appear in court today for open cases against him in connection with the May 9-12 incidents,” Intazar Hussain Panjutha told AFP. The former star cricketer will seek bail.
Imran Khan predicted Monday morning on Twitter that he was going to be arrested again. “Using the pretext of violence while I was in prison, they took on the role of judge, jury and executioner,” he wrote of the government. He believes he is the subject of judicial harassment instigated by the government and the army to prevent his return to power. The ruling coalition, for its part, called for a protest on Monday outside the Supreme Court, which on Thursday ruled Imran Khan’s arrest illegal.