Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan hold their leader’s banner during a protest in Hyderabad, Pakistan, May 9, 2023. Author: Pennsylvania
ISLAMABAD, May 11.— Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday declared the detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan illegal and ordered authorities to release him “immediately”, Geo News reported.
“We believe that the detention of Imran Khan was illegal,” said the chairman of the court, Umar Ata Bandial. “Khan’s detention violated judicial immunity,” he added.
In addition, another court judge, Athar Minallah, said no one would go to court if such detentions become the norm. “A person who appears in court cannot be detained,” he said.
The court also ordered Khan to appeal again to the Islamabad High Court. The politician was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of embezzling about $239 million deposited in the Al Qadeer Trust, registered in his name and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
He was arrested when he appeared before the Islamabad High Court, where he went to apply for bail in connection with various cases against him.
Also the following day, the former prime minister was charged in another unrelated case. Khan was accused of embezzling official gifts from foreign dignitaries and ordered to remain in police custody for eight days as part of the investigation into the Al Qadir Trust.
Meanwhile, the arrest of the former president provoked mass demonstrations in different cities of the country and violent clashes between the security forces and supporters of the politician. According to the latest local media reports, at least eight people were killed and 290 were injured during the protests.
In addition to Khan, Pakistani police also arrested the vice presidents of his Tehreek-e-Insaf party, Fawad Chaudhry and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, as well as the party’s general secretary, Asad Umar, RT reports. Pakistani police confirmed this Thursday the arrest of dozens of people, in addition to the aforementioned high-ranking officials.
According to the Islamabad police, “the arrests were made for inciting arson and violent protests in accordance with a well-thought-out plan to threaten the peace.”
At the same time, the agency reported the arrest of 80 people for setting fire to the Tarnul railway station, shelling and breaking the tracks.
Source: Juventud Rebelde