Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan arrested at Islamabad court

Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, was arrested while appearing in court in Islamabad on corruption charges. Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, a leader of Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), confirmed his arrest to Al Jazeera. The arrest was made in connection with a case related to Al-Qadir Trust, according to Akbar Nasir Khan, a senior police official in Islamabad. The National Accountability Bureau, which is responsible for investigating and prosecuting corruption cases in Pakistan, had issued an arrest warrant against Khan on May 1 in relation to the case.

Khan, who denies the charges, has faced numerous corruption charges since his removal from power last year. He claims that the cases against him are politically motivated and has been pushing for early elections. Following his arrest, Fawad Chaudhry, a leader of the PTI, tweeted that the Islamabad High Court complex was “occupied” by Pakistani Rangers and that lawyers were “being subjected to torture”.

Video footage broadcast on local media showed Khan being escorted to a Rangers vehicle and taken to an unknown location.