Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ordered the former Prime Minister’s release, according to lawyers for ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. The court has declared Khan’s arrest illegal, lawyer Babar Awan told local TV stations Thursday after a hearing at the courthouse. As is usual in such cases, there was no official notification from the Supreme Court.
According to his lawyers, Khan is due to appear before the Islamabad High Court on Friday and will remain in police custody until then. The popular opposition leader was taken away from a court in the Pakistani capital on Tuesday, to a great deal of attention. On Wednesday he was charged with allegedly stealing state gifts.
Khan’s arrest sparked riots in several cities across the country. Thousands of his supporters demonstrated for the release and engaged in violent clashes with security forces. According to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, eight people died on Wednesday alone and at least 300 were injured. Schools and universities have been closed since Wednesday. At the same time, mobile internet was switched off indefinitely and access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube was blocked.
In April 2022, a vote of no confidence ousted Khan as prime minister after nearly four years in office. Since then, the judiciary has brought new allegations against him. He has to answer in court in around 100 cases. The allegations are about corruption, money laundering and insulting a judge. Observers see the actions against Khan as politically motivated. (dpa)
