PTI chief Imran Khan arrested in Al-Qadir Trust case
ISLAMABAD: The country’s restive politics is likely in for a flare-up as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was arrested by Rangers personnel from Islamabad High Court (IHC) — acting on National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) warrant.
The PTI chairman was arrested as part of NAB’s investigation in the Al-Qadir Trust case ahead of his appearance before the IHC to seek bail in multiple FIRs registered against him.
Rangers personnel driving a black Toyota Hilux Vigo took Imran Khan away to NAB Rawalpindi.
It appears Khan got wind of his arrest hours earlier as before leaving for the court the PTI chief said: “If someone has a warrant, they should directly bring it to me. Bring the warrant, my lawyer will be there. I’m ready to go to the jail myself.”
The former premier, while demanding that he be approached through a warrant, urged against staging any drama.
“There is no case against me. I’m mentally prepared to be arrested. If I have to go to jail, I’m ready,” Khan said. The cricketer-turned-politician said that the nation knows him for the last 50 years.
Khan’s dramatic arrest, in which paramilitary troops had to break several doors, jump through smashed windows, and scuffle with PTI supporters and lawyers to reach the legally beleaguered firebrand politician, has sparked protests across the country.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Dr Akbar Nasir Khan confirmed the development and said that the situation was under control.
According to Geo News, the PTI chairman was in the IHC’s biometric verification department when he was nabbed by paramilitary men. The NAB officials had arrest warrants.
Khan’s warrants were issued on May 1 by NAB chairman Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmad Butt.
NAB in a statement said Khan was booked under Section 9A of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.
“The arrest was ordered and implemented by the NAB,” the accountability watchdog said in a statement, adding, “Rangers troops were deployed for the action on the orders of the Ministry of the Interior”.
The statement made it clear that the Rangers did not detain Khan, while Section 144 was already imposed in the federal capital.