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Pakistan Supreme Court Orders Release of Prime Minister Imran Khan… “false arrest”

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On the 11th, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who sparked violence by his supporters across Pakistan earlier this week, the Associated Press and CNN reported.

According to officials from the Pakistan Justice Movement (PTI, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf), a political party chaired by former Prime Minister Khan, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that Khan’s arrest was illegal and ordered his release.

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When news of Khan’s release broke, his supporters celebrated by dancing in the streets outside the court building. Amid days of clashes between protesters and police and civil attacks on military and government sites, the Pakistani government cracked down on Khan’s supporters, arresting more than 2,000 people across Pakistan.

After the Supreme Court ruled Khan’s arrest illegal, Supreme Court Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial recommended that Khan appeal to his supporters to keep the peace. The government has warned that releasing Khan would incite violence.

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Although Khan has been released from custody, he will be protected by security forces in a safe house in the capital, Islamabad, the former prime minister’s legal team told reporters. The legal team said former Prime Minister Khan will appear before the Islamabad High Court on the 12th.

Former Prime Minister Khan, who stepped down from office a year ago following a parliamentary no-confidence vote, is being tried by a court on multiple corruption charges.

Previously, former Prime Minister Khan was arrested by the National Bureau of Responsibility (NAB), an anti-corruption organization, while leaving a court in Islamabad on the 9th. Former Prime Minister Khan was on his way out after appearing in custody on corruption charges, but agents caught him on the court premises and put him in an armored vehicle.

After that, former Prime Minister Khan was detained in a guest house at the police headquarters and was detained for eight days on charges raised by Pakistani anti-corruption agencies in a special hearing by a judge held behind closed doors on the 10th.

Khan’s lawyer has raised questions about the judicial process against Khan, which takes place at the police headquarters instead of in court.

Police justified the move by saying it was to keep the former prime minister away from the public in order to maintain law and order.

Violence broke out across Pakistan following the arrest of former Prime Minister Khan. At least 10 of his supporters were killed, dozens were injured, and more than 200 police officers were injured.

Protesters burned trucks, cars and police vehicles in the streets and blocked highways. On the 9th, rioters set fire to the residence of the military commander in Lahore, Pakistan’s second city. On the night of the 10th, the next day, protesters set fire to a railway station outside the capital, Islamabad.

After the violence, the government closed schools and universities in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This is where former Prime Minister Khan has received massive support from his supporters and has been where significant violence has been reported. The government also suspended internet service in several regions.

Pakistani officials are claiming a conspiracy between the United States and Sharif’s government, saying supporters of the former prime minister specifically targeted the military installations because he had blamed the military for his 2022 ouster. The military claimed it played no role in Khan’s ouster.

Pakistan has been directly ruled by the military for more than half of the 75 years since independence from British colonial rule, wielding considerable power over the civilian government, the Associated Press reported.

Source: Donga

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