2023 High court arrest During Khan's court appearance in Islamabad High Court, while he was in the process of submitting his biometric data, paramilitary forces of
Pakistan Rangers forcibly entered by breaking a window to apprehend him. Video footage depicted security officers of Pakistan Rangers grabbing Khan out of the courtroom and subsequently placing him inside a black Toyota Hilux Vigo to NAB Rawalpindi.
Protests The same day as the arrest, protests broke out across the country, including in
Islamabad,
Karachi,
Lahore, and
Peshawar, resulting in eight fatalities. and the extent of such widespread unrest, involving the vandalization of military properties and installations, is a rare occurrence in Pakistan. Repeatedly, protesters stormed the
General Headquarters of the Pakistan Army in Rawalpindi as well the
corps commander's house in Lahore, which was set on fire. During the protests, there were attempts made by the demonstrators to vandalize the headquarters of the ISI. PTI said in response, the army resorted to the use of firearms to disperse the protesters. Protesters in
Islamabad blocked one of the main highways in and out of the capital. People also lit fires, dismantled street signs and threw stones. No police or officials were in the area during the hour-long blockade. Protesters in
Peshawar also set fire to the
Radio Pakistan premises. In
London, supporters of
Imran Khan demonstrated outside the
High Commission of Pakistan following his arrest. The internet services were restored late on 12 May 2023. The military, through its media wing ISPR, maintained that Khan's arrest was legal and in accordance with the law. They also promptly criticized the protesters, referring to it as a "black day" and stating that no one should take the law into their own hands and that anyone found violating it will be dealt with strictly. In response,
Fawad Chaudhry said that the issue of "legality" of Khan's arrest is not for the ISPR to decide and PTI said it had no connection with the acts of violence that occurred during the protests. The United States and United Kingdom called for democracy and the
rule of law to be respected.
Aftermath On 9 May, the
KSE 100 Index saw a decrease of 455.68 points or 1.09% and settled at 41,373.81 level. On 10 May, the
Pakistani rupee fell 1.3% to a record low of 288.5 against the
U.S. dollar. As of 11 May, a minimum of 8 individuals lost their lives, while over 290 sustained injuries, and more than 1,900 party supporters were detained. In an effort to address the escalating situation, the army was deployed in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad the same day. Between 10–12 May, police detained key leading members of Khan's political party. These included former federal ministers
Asad Umar,
Fawad Chaudhry,
Shah Mehmood Qureshi,
Ali Muhammad Khan, and
Shireen Mazari. According to the police, 9,000
PTI supporters and members were apprehended. According to
ThePrint, several high-ranking Army commanders, notably including
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Sahir Shamshad Mirza, ISPR rejected news that any top ranking army officials have resigned or dissented. On 12 May, Lahore Corps Commander Lt Gen
Salman Fayyaz Ghanni was removed. According to audio messages the
ThePrint said it obtained, Lt Gen Salman Ghanni opposed the army chief's confrontation with Imran Khan.
Release On 11 May,
Pakistan's Supreme Court declared that the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan was illegal due to the use of paramilitary rangers in Khan's arrest. The court ordered that Khan be released immediately after his legal team contended that his detention was unlawful. Chief Justice
Umar Ata Bandial said that the arrest of Khan at the
Islamabad High Court by the
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was in violation of the law due to the use of paramilitary troops, and that such actions would have a "chilling effect". Adding "[w]hat dignity remains of the court if 90 people entered its premises? How can any individual be arrested from court premises?" Bandial said the "arrest was invalid, and therefore, the entire process needs to be reversed." Imran Khan was instructed by the Supreme Court to appear before the Islamabad High Court on 12 May. On 12 May, Islamabad High Court granted two weeks bail to Khan ensuring that he cannot be re-arrested on the specified charges. Despite these rulings, the corruption charges against Khan remain in effect. After being granted bail, Khan said that he had experienced physical mistreatment, including being subjected to physical force and struck with a baton on his head during his arrest. Talking to media, he further said "I am sitting in the Islamabad High Court. They had no justification to arrest me. I was abducted. This happens only where there is a law of the jungle and where the Army abducts [people]. Where is the law? Where are the police? It seems that martial law has been declared [in the country]." In his initial public remarks following his detention, Khan said that the "military abducted" him and said the army chief
Asim Munir was responsible for his arrest, saying that "There is only one man taking action against me and that is the army chief." The rapport between Khan and the present army chief, Gen Asim Munir, is widely perceived as strained following Munir's dismissal as
Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence by Khan during the latter's tenure as prime minister in 2019. In his first news conference after release on 13 May, Khan criticised the military's involvement in politics and recommended that it establish a separate political entity. Criticising the treatment received by his party leaders and workers at the hands of the military, Khan said there were parallels between the current crackdown and the
events that transpired in
East Pakistan leading to the country's division. On 15 May, a Special Corps Commanders Conference was held at GHQ, presided over by General Munir. During the conference, General Munir expressed a determination to ensure that individuals responsible for committing serious offenses against military installations, personnel, and equipment face legal consequences. He said that such individuals including Imran Khan would be held accountable through trials conducted under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act.
Release reactions The Prime Minister of Pakistan,
Shehbaz Sharif, expressed his disapproval of the Supreme Court's decision to release Khan in a cabinet speech broadcast on state television. He claimed that the judges had shown favoritism towards Khan, resulting in "the demise of justice in Pakistan." Additionally, he criticized Khan and his party for using inflammatory language and inciting protests. Shahbaz Sharif stated, "Imran Khan has created divisions within the nation." In his social media posts, diplomat
Zalmay Khalilzad expressed the opinion that "Army Chief Munir needs to resign, and elections must be posted for a specific date." He added "General Munir has mishandled his job and alienated the public. He also has lost the support of many senior Pakistanis."
Analysis Concerns about the way in which Khan was arrested have led some political commentators, lawyers, and journalists to criticize the arrest. In particular lawyers have observed that the arrest was carried out by a paramilitary force and on this basis have questioned its legality, though an Islamabad court has termed the arrest legal. Journalist and military analyst
Ayesha Siddiqa wrote that it is an extraordinary occurrence for a civilian leader such as Khan, who was nurtured by the politically powerful Pakistan Army, to display such tenacity and resilience and that the Al-Qadir Trust case marks the start of a military plan to detain Khan until he surrenders. Historian
Ayesha Jalal wrote that it is important to highlight that Khan's arrest was carried out by the Pakistan Rangers instead of the police. The involvement of the Rangers suggests the potential backing or, at the very least, the implicit approval of the military Establishment regarding the arrest. Consequently, this has resulted in negative public perception for the Pakistani government, as many individuals within Pakistan may perceive it as a manifestation of political harassment. In his column, Indian journalist
Praveen Swami said it was a unique occurrence, where the action taken against a political leader sparked an unexpected, spontaneous 'mini-intifada', directed at the military establishment. Swami said that a considerable number of supporters of the PTI, including individuals from military backgrounds, expressed their protest against the arrest of Khan. And in response to the potentially volatile situation, the military decided to withdraw its guards, thus averting the feared bloodshed that could have potentially caused divisions within its own ranks. == Second Arrest ==