Pakistan's Imran Khan arrested in corruption case

Former prime minister in custody after months of legal battles

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  Pakistani police officers throw stones towards supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan during clashes in Islamabad. AP

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  A motorway leading into Islamabad is blocked by supporters of Mr Khan as they protest against his arrest. AFP

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  Mr Khan's supporters protest outside Avenfield House, the home of former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in London. Bloomberg

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  Nawaz Sharif is the brother of current Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Bloomberg

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  Policewomen detain a supporter of Mr Khan in Karachi during a protest against his arrest. AFP

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  A security officer stands near tear gas fired during clashes with supporters of Mr Khan in Lahore. EPA

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  The Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar was set on fire during the protests. EPA

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  A satellite image shows heavy security around police headquarters in Islamabad after Mr Khan's arrest. Reuters

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  A car set on fire in Peshawar by supporters of Mr Khan during a protest. AP

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  Mr Khan, 71, was expected to attend a hearing. AP

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  The government shut down Twitter, Facebook and YouTube across much of the country after the arrest. EPA

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  Authorities suspended the right of assembly in capital Islamabad and throughout Mr Khan's native province of Punjab. EPA

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  The shell of a bus set on fire during protests in Karachi. Reuters

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  The debris of a check point set on fire by Mr Khan's supporters in Karachi. Reuters

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  Motorcycles were also set on fire by Khan supporters. Reuters

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  A protest against Mr Khan's arrest outside the High Commission for Pakistan in London. Reuters

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  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party activists protest against the arrest of their leader in Islamabad. AFP

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  A paramilitary checkpoint burnt down during a protest in Karachi. Reuters

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  An officer fires a tear gas shell at Mr Khan's supporters in Karachi. EPA

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  A supporter of Mr Khan is arrested in Karachi. EPA

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  The Radio Pakistan premises after it was set on fire during clashes between police and Khan supporters in Peshawar. EPA

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  A burning police vehicle during a protest. Reuters

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  Plain-clothes police officers beat a Khan supporter during a protest in Peshawar. AP

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  A supporter of Mr Khan participates in a protest against his arrest in Peshawar. Reuters

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  Policemen retreat after firing tear gas shells towards supporters of Mr Khan protesting against his arrest in Karachi. AFP

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  Supporters of Mr Khan block a road during a protest against his arrest. AFP

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  Mr Khan sits in Islamabad's High Court moments before paramilitary troops entered and arrested him. Reuters

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  Mr Khan is taken into a vehicle by police as they arrest him. Reuters

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  Pakistani paramilitary troops walk to the court where Mr Khan is appearing in Islamabad. AP

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  Mr Khan's lawyer receives medical attention after he was injured during his client's arrest. Reuters

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  Security personnel escort a car carrying Mr Khan as he arrives at the court. AFP

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  The guards apparently protected Mr Khan, seen sitting in a wheelchair, from protesters. He was later arrested. AFP

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  Mr Khan is protected with bullet proof shields. AFP

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  Mr Khan's party said he was arrested on what they claim are politically-motivated charges. AFP

Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan was taken into custody on Tuesday after he had appeared in court in Islamabad in connection with a corruption case.

Mr Khan was taken by a paramilitary force from outside the Islamabad High Court.

“Imran Khan's car has been surrounded,” his aide Fawad Chaudhry said.

Mr Khan was dragged out of the court and into a police vehicle, said Mr Chaudhry. He said the former prime minister was in the custody of the security forces and denounced the arrest as “an abduction.”

Pakistan’s independent GEO TV broadcast images of Mr Khan being pulled by security forces towards an armoured vehicle, which took him away.

It is not yet known where Mr Khan has been taken.

A scuffle broke out afterwards between Mr Khan’s supporters and police.

Mr Chaudhry said some of Mr Khan's lawyers and supporters, as well as several police officers, were injured in the fight.

Police in Lahore, the city where he lives, have put out a high alert following the arrest.

Mr Khan's party immediately complained to the Islamabad High Court, which requested a police report explaining the charges for his arrest.

Officials from the anti-corruption body said that Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau had issued arrest warrants for Mr Khan last week in a separate case, for which he had not obtained bail, which would have protected him from arrest under the country's laws.

The officials told the Associated Press that Mr Khan would appear before an anti-corruption tribunal later on Tuesday.

He arrived in Islamabad earlier in the day from nearby Lahore to face charges before the Islamabad High Court.

He has claimed that the string of cases against him, which include terrorism charges, are a plot by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's government to discredit him.

Mr Khan, a former cricket star turned Islamist politician, is facing hundreds of charges.

Anticipating his arrest, party officials later released a pre-recorded video of Mr Khan in which he urged supporters to come out in support of “true freedom”.

“My Pakistanis, by the time these words reach you I would have been detained under an illegitimate case,” he said in the video.

“One thing that should become clear for all of you from this is that fundamental rights in Pakistan, the rights given to us by our constitution and democracy, have been buried.”

The country is expected to hold national elections later this year.

Mr Khan is pushing for early elections after he was ousted in April 2022 in a no-confidence vote.

Emboldened by strong support in opinion polls and rallies, Mr Khan has shown no signs of backing down against the government and the army and is seeking support from the Supreme Court to hold polls in two provinces for a start.

Earlier, Pakistan’s army criticised Mr Khan for accusing one of their senior officials of orchestrating assassination attempts against him and challenged him to address the matter in court.

Mr Khan, 70, held Mr Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and senior military officials responsible for a shooting incident at a rally last year in which his leg was injured. They have denied involvement.

He used a rally at the weekend to accuse the military of being behind at least two attempts to murder him, focusing on the alleged involvement of a senior official from the Inter-Service Intelligence, or ISI, which oversees Pakistan’s internal security.

“These fabricated and malicious allegations are extremely unfortunate, deplorable and unacceptable,” the military said in a rare statement directed at Mr Khan late on Monday.

“This has been a consistent pattern for the last one year, wherein military and intelligence agencies officials are targeted with insinuations and sensational propaganda for the furtherance of political objectives.”

It asked for the allegations to be addressed in court.