Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested by paramilitary Rangers on May 9, 2023, at the Islamabad High Court during a hearing on corruption charges. This followed allegations by Khan the previous day that the country’s army had planned to kill him.
Khan, who is 70 and previously worked as a cricketer, is the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. He had travelled from Lahore to Islamabad for the hearing, where he was undergoing biometric processing when the Rangers broke a glass window and took him into custody. The move reportedly involved violence against lawyers and security staff.
The arrest came a day after Khan accused a senior officer of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency of wrongdoing, prompting a response from the army, which called his allegations “baseless”. The incident has sparked concerns about political instability in the country.
Khan’s arrest is not the first time a high-profile Pakistani politician has faced legal action. In recent years, several politicians have been charged with corruption and other offenses. However, Khan’s case is particularly significant given his role as a former prime minister and the leader of a major political party.
The charges against Khan relate to alleged corruption during his time as prime minister. He has denied any wrongdoing, and his supporters have accused the government of pursuing a politically motivated case against him.
Khan’s arrest has also raised questions about the state of democracy in Pakistan. Some observers have expressed concern that the country’s military has too much influence over politics, and that the arrest of a former prime minister could be seen as an attempt to stifle opposition voices.
The situation in Pakistan remains fluid, and it is unclear what will happen next. However, the arrest of Imran Khan is likely to have far-reaching consequences for the country’s political landscape.
