Imran Khan: Pakistan's Supreme Court rules arrest was illegal

The shocking arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan this week on corruption charges was ruled illegal by Pakistan's Supreme Court. Mr. Khan was ordered to be freed right away by the court. His attorneys had argued that his detention on Tuesday from the courthouse in Islamabad was illegal. Since he was detained, violent protests have swept the country, resulting in at least 10 deaths and 2,000 arrests. Tuesday's capture raised developing strains among him and the military. The resistance chief, removed in a certainty vote in April last year, was brought to court on the sets of Pakistan's top appointed authority. The media raced through the courtroom as Mr. Khan entered to record his first public appearance since his arrest. Encircled by security, Mr Khan didn't express anything as he strolled to the wood-framed court which was loaded up with authorities from his party and writers. In front of the three Supreme Court judges, Mr. Khan was surrounded by his attorneys as they informed him that the arrest on Tuesday was invalid because it took place inside a court complex while conducting biometric tests.

Film of his capture showed paramilitary powers holding onto Mr Khan, who was harmed in a firearm assault last year, and hauling him from inside court premises, prior to whisking him away in a defensively covered vehicle. Mr. Khan was informed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, "Your arrest was invalid, so the entire process needs to be retraced." The Supreme Court would now be there to protect him. Mr. Khan then took the stage to express his anger and defiance over his arrest. For what reason was Imran Khan captured? On Tuesday, the former cricketer informed the judges that he had been taken from the High Court and "hit with sticks." The judges repeatedly reminded him that other people had been treated worse. There was no quick reaction from the security powers to the claim. Among the people arrested are seven senior PTI leaders. They include Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the former foreign minister who, according to police,"incited violence." In an explanation Mr Qureshi denied this and encouraged allies to go on with tranquil fights. Since Tuesday, Mr. Khan has been housed at a police guesthouse in the capital. On Wednesday, the guesthouse was transformed into a temporary court, and a judge officially charged him with corruption for the first time in the dozens of cases he is involved in. He said he wasn't guilty. The former international cricketer, who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, would be permanently barred from running for office if convicted. This year's elections are coming up soon. Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani ambassador, told the BBC that she believed the court's decision would help to defuse the anger of Mr. Khan's supporters. The cricket hero bowled out as Pakistan's PM. Polarized politics are tearing Pakistan apart