Al-Qadir Trust case: Imran Khan arrested from IHC premises
Islamabad: Pakistan's Rangers personnel arrested former PM Imran Khan from Islamabad High Court (IHC), acting on National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) warrant, triggering a new political conflict in the country.
The PTI chairman was arrested as part of NAB’s investigation in the Al-Qadir Trust case ahead of his appearance before the IHC to seek bail in multiple FIRs registered against him, reports Geo News.
According to reports, Rangers personnel driving a black Toyota Hilux Vigo took Imran Khan away to NAB Rawalpindi.
It appears Khan got wind of his arrest hours earlier as before leaving for the court the PTI chief was quoted as saying by Geo News: “If someone has a warrant, they should directly bring it to me. Bring the warrant, my lawyer will be there. I’m ready to go to the jail myself.”
“There is no case against me. I’m mentally prepared to be arrested. If I have to go to jail, I’m ready,” Khan said.
According to Geo News, the PTI chairman was in the IHC's biometric verification department when he was nabbed by paramilitary men. The NAB officials had arrest warrants.
Khan’s warrants were issued on May 1 by NAB chairman Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmad Butt.
NAB in a statement said Khan was booked under Section 9A of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.
"The arrest was ordered and implemented by the NAB," the accountability watchdog said in a statement, adding, "Rangers troops were deployed for the action on the orders of the Ministry of the Interior".
The statement made it clear that the Rangers did not detain Khan, while Section 144 was already imposed in the federal capital, reports Geo News.