CRIMEPAKISTAN
Pakistan’s top court orders release of ex-PM Imran Khan
2 hours ago2 hours ago
Pakistan’s top court has ordered the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from custody. Khan’s lawyers had challenged the legality of his arrest, which sparked nationwide protests, earlier this week.
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The Supreme Court in Islamabad on Thursday ruled that the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan was illegal.
The three-judge bench had been asked to hear Khan’s petition against his arrest on Tuesday, on charges of corruption.
What the court said
“Your arrest was invalid so the whole process needs to be backtracked,” Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial told Khan at the hearing in the capital Islamabad.
While it ordered Khan’s release from custody, the court urged the 70-year-old to cooperate with the National Accountability Bureau, which is investigating the charges against him.
Pakistan’s chief justice also told Khan the court wanted him to condemn violent protests that arose after his arrest, and against a background of political instability.
Khan’s supporters could be seen dancing near the court building to celebrate his release. After he was forced from power in a no-confidence vote by lawmakers, Khan has faced multiple corruption charges in Pakistani courts.
Khan was being held at a police compound in Islamabad after a judge ordered the 70-year-old politician detained for at least eight more days, raising the prospect of further unrest.
At least two provinces asked Pakistan’s federal government to deploy troops to restore order since the violence flared. Pakistan’s government insisted that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had planned the unrest, with Khan’s supporters attacking important state buildings and damaging private and public vehicles.
Khan told the court on Thursday that he had been unaware of what was happening across the country since his arrest. He told the court he had been “treated like a terrorist.”
Pakistan’s political future uncertain after Khan’s arrest
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The former international cricket star was indicted on claims that he unlawfully sold state gifts while serving as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. His arrest was based on a new warrant for a separate corruption case related to property.
What are the allegations about gifts?
The “Toshakhana” gift-selling case is one of several legal battles that the former international cricket star and his populist center-right party are facing. It hinges on a government department known as the Toshakhana, which refers to Mughal-era treasure houses kept by royal rulers to store and display gifts bestowed on them.
Although government officials have to declare all gifts, they are allowed to keep those below a certain value and, in some cases, they can buy back more expensive presents at a discount.
Khan and his wife received lavish gifts worth millions during foreign trips, including luxury watches, jewelry, designer handbags, and perfumes. The former prime minister is alleged to have failed to declare some of the presents, or the profit made from selling them.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has already barred Khan from holding public office until the next election because of the claims that he sold the presents. Successive governments in Pakistan have previously targeted political opponents by filing legal cases against them to keep them away from politics. Khan and his supporters claim the proceedings are politically motivated.
rc/jcg (Reuters, dpa)
