On December 7th, 2017, Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was arrested by officials in an Islamabad court. The arrest came after Khan failed to appear in court for a hearing regarding his alleged involvement in the attack on the Pakistan Television (PTV) headquarters during a sit-in protest in 2014.
Khan had been summoned to appear in court on November 30th, but he failed to do so. The court then issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for him. Khan’s lawyer argued that his client was not aware of the summons and that he was out of the country at the time. However, the court rejected the argument and ordered his arrest.
The PTI party, which is one of the major opposition parties in Pakistan, has been staging protests against the ruling party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), for alleged corruption and election rigging. The sit-in protest in 2014 was part of this campaign.
The attack on the PTV headquarters during the protest resulted in damage to the building and disruption of the transmission. Khan and other PTI leaders were accused of inciting violence and damaging public property. Khan denied the allegations and claimed that the protesters were peaceful and that the attack was carried out by a group of rogue elements.
Khan’s arrest has sparked controversy and criticism from his supporters and opposition parties. Many believe that the arrest is politically motivated and an attempt to silence Khan and his party. The PTI has called for protests against the arrest and has accused the government of using state institutions to target political opponents.
The government, however, has defended the arrest and stated that no one is above the law. The Interior Minister, Ahsan Iqbal, stated that Khan was not being targeted for his political views but for his alleged involvement in criminal activities.
Khan was released on bail the same day of his arrest. The court ordered him to submit a surety bond of Rs. 100,000 and to appear in court for the next hearing on December 19th.
The arrest of Imran Khan has once again highlighted the political tensions and polarization in Pakistan. It remains to be seen how this will impact the upcoming general elections in 2018 and the future of the PTI party.
