Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was detained from his residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park after an Islamabad-based sessions court sentenced him to three years in prison for concealing the proceeds from the sale of state gifts from the Toshakhana.

The Toshakhana is a Cabinet Division department that stores gifts provided to rulers and government officials by foreign dignitaries and heads of other governments. Khan purchased and resold several presents, including a valuable watch given to him by the Saudi crown prince.

The 70-year-old leader was authorised to purchase the gifts from Toshakhana and conduct the sale, but he neglected to inform the Election Commission of Pakistan about the money he made, a violation of the law for which he was charged with concealment.

Khan might have gotten away with a warning or a fine in better times, but he ran out of luck when he fell out with the potent military establishment, which led to his removal from office in April of last year.

Khan is not the first Pakistani prime minister to end up in prison; the country’s sordid history is replete with unenviable examples of the treatment of elected leaders.

Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy, a Bengali politician from East Pakistan who served as the fifth prime minister, is first on the list. In January 1962, he was arrested and imprisoned on false allegations of “anti-state activities.” Actual transgression was his refusal to support military dictator General Ayub Khan.

In 1974, the ninth prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was arrested on allegations of conspiracy to murder a political opponent. He was given a death sentence and executed on April 4, 1979.

Benazir Bhutto served twice as prime minister, from 1988 to 1990 and 1993 to 1996. The country’s only female prime minister was detained multiple times, beginning in 1985 with a 90-day house arrest.

In August 1986, she was detained in Karachi for speaking out against the military dictator Ziaul Haq. In April 1999, she was sentenced to five years in prison, disqualified, and fined more than 5 million pounds for corruption. She evaded arrest by living in self-imposed exile.

Nawaz Sharif was detained in 1999, following the takeover by General Pervez Musharraf, and then exiled for a decade.

In July 2018, he and his daughter Maryam Nawaz were sentenced to 10 years in prison for corruption. In December of the same year, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for corruption at Al-Azizia Steel Mills. In 2019, he travelled to London for medical treatment and never returned.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was arrested in July 2019 in connection with a corruption case involving Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), but was subsequently released on bail.

Imran Khan was also detained on May 9, 2023 in another corruption case, but was released a few days later after the Supreme Court intervened. In the Toshakhana case, he was sentenced to three years in prison on August 5, 2023.

Hamid Mir, a renowned journalist and anchor for Geo News, stated, in response to his conviction and detention, that he was not the first prime minister to be imprisoned and may not be the last.

“First Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy, then Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, then Benazir Bhutto, then Nawaz Sharif, and most recently Imran Khan. Politicians and prime ministers are always punished, he tweeted.

In addition, he stated that no Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term.

In distinct contrast, none of the four military dictators — Auyb Khan, Yahya Khan, Ziaul Haq, and Pervez Musharraf — were brought to justice for overthrowing democratically elected governments and subverting the Constitution.

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In matters of security, foreign policy, and politics, the powerful Pakistan Army, which has governed the coup-prone nation for more than half of its 75 years of existence, has wielded considerable influence.

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf tweeted on its official Twitter account, “Sialkot: Police raided the domicile of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Usman Dar. By violating the sanctity of the chador and the four walls, the mother of the brothers Dar was harassed. The PTI also tweeted images of the residence.

The development follows Tuesday’s detention of the former Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan. Rangers apprehended Imran Khan outside the Islamabad High Court on a warrant issued by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case. After his detention, PTI employees across the nation protested and demanded his release.

Aftab Siddiqui, president of PTI Karachi, has announced protests in Karachi. He urged the citizens of Karachi to observe the closure for PTI chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan.

A few hours ago, Hassaan Niazi, the leader of the PTI, tweeted, “Core commander residence in Lahore is surrounded by all chowks. Protesters have decided to spend the night here. All Cantt checkpoints were empty. Concerning public rage. PTI employees are attempting to calm the public, but the wrath is too great.”

Geo News reported that PTI employees demonstrated in cities across the nation, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, and Mardan. In Karachi, protesters and police fought near Nursery. They threw rocks at police vehicles and destroyed street lamps.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry announced on Wednesday that the party will challenge the Islamabad High Court’s decision to uphold party chairman Imran Khan’s arrest before the Supreme Court this morning. Fawad Chaudhry described the decision of the Islamabad High Court as “surprising.”

He tweeted, “It is surprising that the Islamabad High Court has deemed the arrest of Imran Khan to be legal; the arrest of Imran Khan without a bail decision prior to his arrest is illegal, and this decision is being challenged this morning in the Supreme Court.”

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has instructed party leaders, employees, and supporters to assemble at the Islamabad Judicial Complex at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf announced on its official Twitter account, “Important instructions from the party leadership: Senior leadership of Tehreek-e-Insaf and employees and supporters of Islamabad will arrive at Judicial Complex Islamabad at 8 a.m. The ongoing sit-ins and protests will continue at their respective locations across the nation until Imran Khan is released.”

Also read this:Protests erupt across Pakistan against Imran Khan’s arrest

Tuesday, the Islamabad High Court deemed the detention of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan to be “legal,” as reported by Geo News. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, who had questioned the Rangers’ decision to apprehend Imran Khan on court premises, announced the reserved verdict on Tuesday.

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Protests erupt across Pakistan against Imran Khan's arrest

Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/bQTvBjbBbP#ImranKhanArrest #ImranKhanarrested #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/QeokXHtMTG

— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) May 9, 2023

This comes just one day after Imran Khan accused the potent army of conspiring to kill him. The Rangers were captured on video footage forcibly seizing Khan and pushing him into a prison vehicle. These Rangers typically report to the Ministry of the Interior, and their leadership typically consists of seconded army officers.

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Khan’s supporters, who are also former cricket stars, condemned the arrest on a national level. Fawad Chaudhry, a senior official from the PTI party, told the news agency AP that Khan was dragged outside the Islamabad High Court and coerced into a police vehicle by National Accountability Bureau agents.

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Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was quoted by Geo News as saying that a high-level joint investigation team (JIT) has been established to investigate four cases filed against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and his supporters for allegedly attacking courts and law enforcement, committing vandalism, and obstructing court operations.

The Joint Investigation Team is led by the Additional Inspector General of Police Special Branch Punjab, Zulfiqar Hameed, and consists of representatives from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Military Intelligence (MI), and DIG Headquarters Islamabad, Awais Ahmad.

Media reported that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah accused Imran Khan of employing “armed gangs” to attack the Federal Judicial Complex on February 28 to obstruct court proceedings regarding Toshakhana’s foreign funding.

Sanaullah added that the JIT has been tasked with investigating the cases and that it will complete its investigations within 14 days and submit a challan to the courts.

Notably, PTI supporters recently forced their way into the courthouse, smashed the main gate, and vandalized the courts. A case was lodged at the Ramna police station in Islamabad under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and additional offenses.

According to Media, a separate FIR with terrorism-related allegations was lodged at the police station when the PTI chairman arrived at the IHC.

According to Dawn, the Islamabad police have filed a FIR including terrorism charges against Khan and dozens of PTI leaders.

The police accused PTI supporters in a tweet of “incitement, arson, vandalism, and attacks on police” on Thursday, when several PTI supporters caused a disturbance at the judicial complex.

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58 police officers were injured during the violence and vandalism, and 12 vehicles, 20 motorcycles, and a police checkpoint were set on fire, according to the police.

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A warrant for the arrest of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan was rescinded on Friday, according to his attorneys, allowing him to end a holdout at his home that sparked violent clashes between supporters and police earlier this week.

Khan was removed from office by a vote of no confidence in 2017 and has been embroiled in dozens of legal cases as he campaigns for early elections and a return to office.

The warrant pertains to his failure to appear before a court in Islamabad to address a case brought by the Election Commission of Pakistan, which accuses him of failing to declare gifts received during his tenure as prime minister or the profit made from selling them.

This week, attempts by police to arrest the 70-year-old former international cricket star in the eastern city of Lahore resulted in violent clashes with his supporters outside his residence.

Friday, following a day of legal wrangling in both cities’ courts, the arrest warrant was lifted.

“The Islamabad High Court has suspended the non-bailable arrest warrant,” said senior member of Khan’s legal team Faisal Chaudhry.

“Imran will now appear in court tomorrow”.

Khan left his home for the first time in days after the warrant was withdrawn to appear in court in Lahore for a case related to this week’s clashes.

As his convoy slowly departed the compound, dozens of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party supporters cheered and waved flags.

Overnight on Tuesday, police and paramilitary rangers repeatedly clashed with PTI supporters in the affluent Zaman Park neighborhood, firing tear gas and evading rocks hurled by enraged crowds.

Since then, PTI supporters have maintained a vigil outside of his residence, fearing that police will return to apprehend him.

Khan claims that he fears for his life if he is detained and that the authorities want him imprisoned to prevent him from running in an election that must take place by October of this year.

Shibli Faraz, Khan’s chief of staff, stated on Friday, “We have serious concerns about his safety.”

As the political drama transpires, Pakistan is experiencing a severe economic downturn and risks default if the International Monetary Fund cannot provide assistance.

In addition, the security situation is deteriorating due to a spate of deadly assaults on police that have been linked to the Pakistan Taliban.

Khan has been exerting pressure on the coalition government that replaced him, headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, via social media and public rallies.

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Last year, Khan was wounded in the leg during a political rally; he blamed Sharif for the attempted assassination.

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Imran Khan stated in a video message, “This is part of the London plan and an agreement has been signed there to put Imran in jail, bring down the PTI, and resolve all cases against Nawaz Sharif.”

He further stated that he doesn’t understand the reason behind the attack on people as he had already assured that he will be present in court on March 18.

Wednesday morning in Lahore, tension prevailed as these remarks were made. For the former prime minister’s arrest, additional contingents were dispatched to the PTI chairman’s Zaman Park residence, where a standoff between party supporters and law enforcement has been ongoing for more than 14 hours.

Imran Khan stated that in order to prevent chaos, he had given a promise to the president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, who attempted to deliver it to the DIG who was coming to arrest the PTI leader, but the DIG did not meet the president.

“According to Code of Criminal Procedure Section 76, if this surety bond is given to the arresting officer, then I cannot be arrested,” Imran said.

The leader of the PTI asserted that the DIG had no reason not to accept the commitment and pointed to malicious intent.

Protests erupted in Islamabad, Peshawar, and Karachi after Imran urged his supporters to “come out” in response to the police’s use of tear gas and a water cannon against his supporters outside Zaman Park.

Samaa English reported that the Punjab police sought additional water cannons on both sides of Canal Road and fired tear gas shells at PTI employees.

A large number of PTI supporters demonstrated in front of the press club in Peshawar. After holding the demonstration, PTI workers blocked Sher shah Suri road and started marching towards the Governor House.

The Islamabad police reported that PTI protesters had blocked Tarnol Road, but swift action had reopened it to traffic. A police officer stated, “A case has been registered at the Tarnol Police Station against the PTI employees who blocked the road on Imran Khan’s orders.”

People in Chowrangi, Karachi, lit tyres on fire as part of a dharna to protest the police’s atrocities in Zaman Park.

On Monday, two arrest warrants without bail were issued for the PTI chief after he failed to appear in court in Toshakhana-related cases and threatened a female additional district and sessions judge.

The Dawn reported that the 70-year-old former prime minister has skipped court hearings in several cases while recovering from a gunshot wound sustained in an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year.

Today, the leader of the PTI was scheduled to appear before two district and session courts in Islamabad; however, Imran’s attorneys filed petitions for an exemption from the hearings, citing security concerns.

Imran has evaded indictment hearings in this case three times. He is accused of concealing details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana in his asset declarations. The Toshakhana is a repository where gifts given to government officials by foreign officials are stored.

The IHC suspended Imran’s non-bailable arrest warrants until March 13 and ordered him to appear in sessions court on March 7.

Tuesday’s proceedings began with Imran’s attorney, Khawaja Haris, informing the court that his client would be unable to attend. Imran’s attorney stated, “He is not refusing to appear, but due to security concerns he cannot be present.”

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He recalled that the IHC had asked the sessions court to initiate legal proceedings against the PTI chief as per the law if he failed to appear before the court on March 13, the Dawn reported.

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“If I am arrested, we have a plan that will be shared with the nation at the appropriate time,” he said hours after postponing Sunday’s election rally for his party in Lahore.

As the possibility of Imran Khan’s arrest is well-discussed, he disclosed that a plan has already been formulated without disclosing key details.

According to media, Imran  Khan defended his decision to postpone the rally by stating that he was frightened by the large number of PTI supporters and feared there would be bloodshed if everyone showed up.

After the Punjab caretaker government imposed Section 144 (ban on public assemblies) in the provincial capital, the PTI chief postponed the party’s election rally in Lahore earlier today.

The district administration banned public gatherings by invoking Section 144 in the Punjab capital of Lahore, citing concerns following a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match in the city, Geo News reported.

While they justified their decision to cancel their rally as an effort to maintain peace in the country, PML-N leaders accuse them of being “cowards.”

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz called Khan a “jackal” for delaying the party’s election rally.

Maryam said on her official Twitter account, “Those who cancel movements and prefer to hide inside their homes out of fear of the police are called jackals.”

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Pakistan is currently engulfed in political chaos and economic crisis as a result of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s desperation for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the ruling coalition’s delaying tactics to postpone elections and extend its tenure as long as possible.

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