Pakistan’s anti-corruption body arrested former prime minister Imran Khan at the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday, in a dramatic move that threatens further unrest in the country.
Footage from the prison showed dozens of security agents in riot control gear driving Khan away in a van as Khan’s party called for protests across the country.
“People of Pakistan, this is the time to save your country. You will not get another chance,” Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party wrote on Twitter.
The arrest comes as Pakistanis are reeling from their worst economic crisis in decades, with record high inflation and anemic growth.
An International Monetary Fund rescue package has been delayed for months, even though foreign exchange reserves are barely enough to cover a month’s imports.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told reporters that Khan was arrested by the National Office of Accountability (NAB) after failing to appear before the agency “despite warnings”.
The NAB issued Khan’s arrest warrants on May 1, according to an order seen by the report. “Khan is accused of committing the crime of corruption and corrupt practices,” he said.
Khan’s corruption case is one of more than 100 filed against him since he was ousted from power in a parliamentary vote last April. He served four of his five-year term.
In most cases, Khan could be barred from public office if convicted, with a national election scheduled for November.
Earlier attempts to arrest Khan at his home in Lahore resulted in heavy clashes between his supporters and police.
Political disputes are common in Pakistan, where no prime minister has served a full term and where the military has ruled for nearly half of the country’s history.
Source: CNN Brasil
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