The Pakistan Supreme Court today called former prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest illegal and ordered his immediate release, according to media reports.
Regarding the plea against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case, a three-judge bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, directed Khan to approach the Islamabad High Court from where he was arrested by paramilitary soldiers. The court also asked Khan to condemn the violent protests in his support.
Khan told the SC that he was kidnapped from the Islamabad High Court and was hit by sticks, according to Pakistani media sources.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of Pakistan this evening brought Khan to the Supreme Court after its direction.
Eight people have been killed and nearly 30 hurt in clashes over the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party leader Imran Khan. Supporters of the former premier yesterday attacked the Lahore residence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, police said.
Islamabad Police today said that PTI party leaders like Asad Umar and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were arrested for “inciting violent protests”.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, has termed the violent protests a "black chapter" in the country's history.
According to police, over 500 miscreants from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party reached the Model Town Lahore residence of the prime minister and set fire to vehicles parked near the compound.
Police said that the protesters have set 14 government installations/buildings and 21 police vehicles on fire in Punjab.
A day before, the protesters had set ablaze a Corps Commander's House in Lahore after ransacking it.
PTI supporters have launched protests in cities across the globe.
The army has been deployed in the country's capital Islamabad, as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
The building of Pakistan's national radio broadcaster Radio Pakistan was set on fire by protesters in Peshawar.
