Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been arrested for damage to state funds. This was stated by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah referring to the allegations of corruption weighing on the Pakistani leader Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pti). The arrest came, police said, as Khan appeared in an Islamabad court in one of several cases against him since he was ousted from power in April 2022.
The al-Qadir fund
The former premier today appeared before the judge of the Islamabad court for a hearing in the proceeding in which he is accused of inciting mutiny and violence against the leader of the opposing political party. However, Khan was arrested in court by the National Accountability Bureau (Nab) in another case, that of corruption linked to the Al-Qadir Trust. Inspector General Akbar Nasir Khan explained that the arrest occurred in relation to the al-Qadir fund involving Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and their close collaborators Zulfiqar Bukhari and Babar Awan. They are all under investigation in an investigation into an agreement between the then PTI government and Pakistani real estate tycoon Malik Riaz. They are also accused of illegally obtaining land to establish Al-Quadir University. The arrest warrant dates back to May 1st.
Unrest in Islamabad after the arrest of Imran Khan
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested by Rangers outside the High Court in Islamabad and taken inside. “They are torturing him and beating him,” PTI leader Musarrat Cheema said in a video message on Twitter. Party officials have called on all of Pakistan to demonstrate against the arrest. Meanwhile, the police have issued an order banning gatherings of more than four people. But no one respected him. Local TV shows scenes of chaos outside the courthouse, while clashes continue between hundreds of Khan’s supporters and security agents. Water cannons and tear gas were fired at protesters in various parts of the country. In an effort to bring the unrest and protests under control, the government of Pakistan has shut down the internet and social media across the country. In the major cities – writes the website of The Nation – the Internet no longer works, while in the districts of some major cities, such as Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, mobile telephone services are also suspended. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, on the recommendation of the Interior Ministry, has blocked Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp everywhere, writes The Nation.
Source-tg24.sky.it