ARREST OF PAKISTAN’S FORMER PRIME MINISTER IMRAN KHAN WAS ILLEGAL, TOP COURT RULES

Pakistan’s supreme court has ruled the arrest of the former prime minister Imran Khan was illegal and ordered for him to be released.

The chief justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial, declared that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had acted in violation of the law by arresting Khan on the premises of the Islamabad high court without permission and that such actions would have a “chilling effect”.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chief Imran Khan appeared at the Islamabad High Court for a bail hearing on Friday, following his arrest earlier this week that led to deadly clashes across the country.

He arrived in a high-security convoy at Islamabad High Court before walking into the building flanked by dozens of police and paramilitary troops, news agency AFP reported.

The AFP report further said that PTI lawyers who had gathered in front of the court chanted slogans like "Khan your devotees are countless" and "the lawyers are alive", to which the ousted leader responded by raising a single fist above his head.

According to Dawn reports, the court issued a stay order on his indictment in the Toshakhana graft case, while Khan faces a total of 121 cases, including charges of treason, blasphemy, inciting violence, and terrorism. With tight security in place, the PTI chairman faced a special bench to hear his bail plea in the corruption case.

The bench, comprises Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz.

Updated on May 12, 2023 02:50 PM IST