Updated May 9th, 2023 at 20:04 IST

'Imran Khan will be poisoned in jail': PTI hurls sensational claim after ex-PM's arrest

Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan was convicted in the Al-Qadir Trust case, as well as for inciting violence and treason by paramilitary Rangers.

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
IMAGE: Twitter/Republic | Image:self
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After Pakistan's paramilitary forces detained former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan in the capital Islamabad, Tehreek-e-Insaf [PTI] leaders have made sensational claims saying that "Imran Khan will be poisoned in jail" and that the ruling Shehbaz Sharif government "wants to kill PTI chief." Nationwide protests erupted in Lahore and Karachi as the PTI chief's staunchest supporters vandalised the streets with a baton. Khan was arrested on Tuesday over corruption allegations after being embroiled in months of political crisis. He was convicted in the Al-Qadir Trust case, as well as for inciting violence and treason.

Khan dramatically detained during  biometric process at court

The former Pakistan premier was dramatically arrested at the time he was undergoing a biometric process at Islamabad High Court. His attorneys and the security staff were trashed by the Khaki-clad paramilitary Rangers, who entered the premises by breaching windows and breaking through the glass. Khan's lawyer alleged that the Paramilitary Rangers "physically assaulted Imran Khan" and manhandled him to extricate him. While the Islamabad police, on numerous occasions had ordered banning demonstrations, PTI supporters ignored the advisories and flooded the streets to protest. 

Inspector General Police Islamabad (IG) Akbar Nasir Khan, in a statement, said that Khan was detained in Al-Qadir Trust case. Both he and his wife Bushra Bibi allegedly funnelled “billions of rupees from a real estate firm for legalising a laundered amount of Rs 50 billion," IG Nasir Khan claimed. He continued that Section 144 had been imposed citywide.

“The arrest has been conducted by the National Accountability Bureau for causing losses to the national treasury,” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed to Pakistani based press.

PTI leaders urge supporters to protest nationwide

In Lahore, Imran Khan's seat of power, PTI urged the PTI supporters to accumulate huge turnouts at the crossing and demonstrate for the release of the former premier. They shared an image with words emblazoned: "Reach Liberty Chowk Right Now." Khan's closest aide, Asad Umar, tweeted in Urdu to berate the arrest. "Pakistan's biggest political leader was arrested," he wrote, according to an English language translation of his post. "The world can see there is no law and order in Pakistan anymore," Umar said. He further noted that Khan's party PTI has formed a six-member committee to discuss their further move. Imran’s lawyer shared a footage, claiming that he was “badly injured inside the premises of IHC.”

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry tweeted, “Former PM Imran Khan has been abducted from Court premises, scores of lawyers and general people have been tortured, Imran Khan has been whisked away by unknown people to an unknown location, CJ Islamabad High Court has ordered Secy interior and IG police to appear within 15 min in the court”.

Islamabad newspaper Dawn is reporting that Khan, his wife, and PTI leaders are under investigation by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for allegedly “accepting Rs 5 billion and hundreds of kanals (of land) from Bahria Town (an Islamabad-based real estate company) in exchange for protecting the firm in a money laundering case.” It wasn't immediately clear why Khan was detained. But his arrest comes shortly after Pakistan's military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Sharif had warned the former prime minister against maligning a serving officer after Khan hurled allegations that the military intelligence official was leading a plot to kill him.

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Published May 9th, 2023 at 20:04 IST