Pakistan Supreme Court calls ex-PM Imran Khan’s arrest illegal, orders immediate release

The court’s decision comes amid widespread violence between supporters of the former PM and Pakistan’s security forces, which left at least 12 dead.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan | Photo: ANI

New Delhi: In a dramatic turn of events, the Pakistan Supreme Court Thursday ordered the “immediate release” of former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party chief Imran Khan, labelling his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case as “unlawfull”.

The move comes two days after his arrest led to large-scale violence across the country. The protesters belonging to Khan’s party vandalised military installations, including the seat of power in Pakistan — the General Headquarters of the Pakistan Army.

As part of its order, the Supreme Court said that Imran Khan would be taken to Islamabad’s Police Lines guest house but “would not be considered a prisoner”, according to a report in the Dawn.

A three-judge bench, including the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, issued the order of Khan’s release, and further directed the Islamabad Police chief to ensure the former prime minister’s safety.

The Pakistani Supreme Court also directed Khan to approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Earlier in the day, a three-justice bench, including the CJP, told the probe agency National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to present Khan in court. The NAB has got eight days custody of the PTI chief. The Pakistani top court said it was taking the matter “very seriously” and subsequently, Khan was presented before it in the evening.

The violence that followed the former prime minister’s arrest on 9 May has since been termed as a “black day” by the Pakistani army’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) arm, which also labelled PTI leaders as “hypocrites”.

PTI Thursday hit out at the ISPR’s statement as being “against ground realities” as “many factors” are behind the general public’s response to Khan’s arrest.

With PTI’s top brass having called on its party workers to stay away from the Supreme Court, the former prime minister’s supporters and PTI members took to social media to celebrate, within seconds of the apex court announcing his release.

With security tightened around the apex court’s premises ahead of the former Prime Minister’s arrival, CJP Bandial further directed Imran Khan to appear before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday, the site at which he had been arrested by paramilitary personnel on 9 May, an arrest which the IHC had ordered as legal at the time.

During the hearing, the three-judge bench questioned the NAB as to why it didn’t try to arrest the former Prime Minister for over eight days after it had issued a warrant against him in the corruption case on 1 May.

Following the order, Imran Khan requested his supporters to not engage in violence, reiterated his party’s desire for general elections to be held as planned, but also hit out at the NAB for the persecution he faced while in custody. “Even murderers are not treated this way,” Khan said, revealing that he was hit with batons and “caught as if he were a terrorist”.

King Khan in Supreme Court pic.twitter.com/LkLcZkcEdc

— Virk Shahzaib (@VirkSh786) May 11, 2023

Same positive attitude, same fearless body language, wearing his sunglasses, fully dressed up. KING IMRAN KHAN FOR YOU GUYS. 🔥🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/mXrEzVrDVn

— Saith Abdullah (@SaithAbdullah99) May 11, 2023

Musa Virk, PTI’s head of social media in Punjab, further called on President Arif Alvi to take the former prime minister to the president’s house in Islamabad to ensure his safety.

President @ArifAlvi must take Imran Khan to President House until his guards come & party can ensure his security.

— Musa Virk (@MusaNV18) May 11, 2023