Pakistan’s Supreme Court has invalidated the arrest of former Prime Minister Khan – and ordered him to appeal to his protesting supporters. Despite the decision, Khan is said to remain in custody.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ruled the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan illegal. It ordered the 70-year-old’s release after a complaint from Khan’s lawyer Salman Safdar.
Court President Umar Ata Bandial also called on Khan to appeal to his supporters to remain peaceful as unrest on the country’s streets increased. Despite the verdict, Khan will remain in Islamabad under the protection of security forces, the head of his legal team, Babar Awan, said. The next court date is scheduled for Friday.
Several dead in protests against Khan’s arrest
The police station where Khan was taken after his arrest should now be considered a “residence,” Judge Bandial said. The judge denied Khan’s request to be allowed to return to his estate in a suburb of Islamabad. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah announced that he would later arrest Khan again.
Khan was arrested on Tuesday at a court hearing on corruption charges. A day later, a court ordered another eight days of pre-trial detention. Khan’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, appealed to the Supreme Court and was successful.
Khan supporters protested the arrest, some violently. There were several deaths. Hundreds of police officers were injured in the clashes, and more than 2,000 people were arrested across the country, particularly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
Government-based soldiers in Islamabad
Due to the massive protests, soldiers were stationed in the capital, Islamabad. Police had said the military was now stationed in the capital’s sensitive “red zone,” where government buildings are located. The government had already given the go-ahead for the use of soldiers against demonstrators in Punjab province on Wednesday.
In a TV speech, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed the population to refrain from violence. Otherwise, the state will take full action.
Human rights activists accuse the police of “excessive force” in operations against the demonstrators. “The government should uphold the right to peaceful protest,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement. “Criminal offenses should be promptly investigated and appropriately prosecuted.”
arrests of several party officials
According to the police in Islamabad, several officials of Khan’s party Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were arrested. In total, there are said to be seven arrests in Khan’s party environment, as reported by the AFP news agency, citing police information. They are accused of organizing the protests.
Among them is said to be Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was foreign minister in Khan’s cabinet. He was taken into custody during the night, it said on his Twitter profile.
Khan denies allegations
Khan himself had denied the allegations of corruption brought against him. They result from just two of more than 100 investigations that were initiated after the end of his tenure.
In most cases, if convicted, Khan faces a ban from holding public office. Elections are planned in Pakistan in November. Khan was overthrown by a vote of no confidence in Parliament in April 2022. Conservative politician Sharif was elected as his successor.