A day after his detention provoked widespread protests. Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, entered a not-guilty plea to corruption allegations.
According to authorities, eight people have died as a result of the protests nationwide. The 1,000 more have been detained.
After mobs attacked its premises, the army deployed in several regions and issued a severe warning.
At a time of economic hardship, Mr. Khan’s imprisonment sharply increased tensions between him and the military.
The former cricket star served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. They would be permanently barred from running for office if convicted. Later this year, elections are scheduled.
A dramatic video is depicted. The 70-year-old being violently removed from the court on Tuesday before being loaded into a police car.
At the police guesthouse where he is being held. which also serves as a courtroom. There is strict security.
Khan, a politician, was charged on Wednesday by the Election Commission with illegally selling government products when he was the prime minister.
He believes he complied with all legal procedures and refutes the accusations.
They formally charged in dozens of cases against him, but this was the first.
The evaded capture for months, with his supporters at times engaging in fierce conflict with the police to keep him from being taken into custody.
The arrest on Tuesday was made in accordance with a fresh warrant for a different corruption case involving the suspected transfer of land for Al-Qadir University, close to Islamabad. In this case, the judge remanded Mr. Khan into detention for eight days.
His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party announced that it would argue in court against the legitimacy of his arrest.
Violent protests have broken out all over Pakistan as a result of the anti-corruption body’s action.
In order to keep the peace in places like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Balochistan, and Islamabad, the government has called in the army.
Pakistani Prime Minister Faces Corruption Charges.
On Tuesday night extraordinary photos showed Mr. Khan’s followers looting the corps commander’s Lahore home. The breaking chandeliers and fleeing with peacocks, among other items. They said were purchased with “citizen’s money.”
The Pakistani military referred to May 9 as a “dark day” and threatened demonstrators with an “extreme reaction” if state buildings were destroyed once more.
Imran Khan was testifying before a judge when police in Islamabad attempted to restrict access to the compound by using shipping containers.
According To BBC News
The BBC saw demonstrators and police fighting in the middle of one of Islamabad’s main thoroughfares.
After noon, protesters started to congregate; some of them were carrying PTI flags or sporting Imran Khan masks.
Soon after the throng started to gather, tear gas canisters were shot into it. With their sticks, the demonstrators tried to knock the metal casings aside. During the 90 minutes that the BBC was there, there were no arrests.
One man, who was carrying stones and a stick and was donning a surgical mask, told the BBC: “We came to do a peaceful protest, but this police are shelling us.”
“Until they release Imran, or until we die, we will continue this protest.” Otherwise, the entire nation will be shut down.
Less than four years into Mr. Khan’s tenure as prime minister. They were dismissed last April. He got a wound in the leg in November while running for office in the city of Wazirabad.
Pakistani prime minister faces corruption charges. He has charged a top intelligence official with carrying out the strike.
The charge that the military has categorically refuted. The military had cautioned Mr. Khan not to repeat the accusation a day before his arrest.
The party he represents claims that he is involved in more than 100 court cases, all of which, in Mr. Khan’s opinion, have political undertones.
His supporters claim that the current administration aims to prevent him from running in the upcoming general elections in October.
Dr. Shireen Mazari, a former minister for human rights in Mr. Khan’s PTI government, claimed that Mr. Khan’s arrest amounted to state kidnapping.
“We don’t expect even the military to abuse the sanctity of the court in this way,” she continued. The statement “seething with anger” was made about Pakistanis.
However, The High Court Of Islamabad Ruled That the Arrest Was Lawful.
Khan appears in court. he may run for office if he is found not guilty. The minister of planning, Ahsan Iqbal, declared during a news conference on Wednesday. They were found guilty of corruption. he should be held accountable.
The police have taken Asad Umar, Mr. Khan’s party’s secretary general, and other party members into custody.
The cricket Legend Dismissed As Pakistan’s PM
Polarized politics are dividing Pakistan.
The availability of mobile internet services is still severely constrained nationwide. According to Pakistan’s telecom regulators, the interior ministry had given them the go-ahead to halt operations.
The schools are still closed. Some roadways are blocked. There is little to no traffic in large cities.
Many analysts think the military played a role in Mr. Khan’s victory in the 2018 election.
But amid a worsening economic crisis, observers said he lost favor with Pakistan’s powerful military. Which plays a key role in the country’s covert nuclear program.
He has developed into one of the military’s most outspoken detractors since joining the opposition.
