Imran Khan's arrest sparks nationwide protests in Pakistan

Lahore: Pakistan witnessed widespread protests on Tuesday after the arrest of Imran Khan, the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, as he appeared before the Islamabad High Court.

The arrest was related to several cases that had been pending against him since his ousting last year. In response, Khan's supporters gathered in several cities, including Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad, to protest against his arrest.

The law enforcement officials used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, and protesters blocked roads in Islamabad, Peshawar, and other cities. Reports suggest that PTI supporters damaged public property and set police vehicles on fire in several cities.

Taking to Twitter, the PTI party issued a statement and called on its supporters to "shut down Pakistan" after Khan's arrest. The party also urged its supporters to stand with Khan and fight for him. PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced that a meeting of the party's central leadership and members of the emergency committee, formed by the party chief, would be held to determine the future course of action following the arrest of Chairman Imran Khan.

Qureshi added that the situation would be assessed before announcing any decisions. The emergency committee comprises PTI leaders Saifullah Niazi, Azam Swati, Ijaz Chaudhary, Murad Saeed, Ali Amin, and Qureshi himself. Qureshi also criticized the alleged torture of the party chief during the arrest, as well as the "attack" on the Islamabad High Court, where Khan was arrested.

He condemned the law enforcement personnel for taking Khan into custody during biometric verification and for storming the court. Qureshi vowed that the party will continue to fight a legal and political battle with full determination.

Previous attempts to arrest Khan from his Lahore home resulted in violent clashes between his supporters and law enforcement personnel. Despite this, the PTI party called on its supporters to stand with Khan and fight for his freedom, stating that he had always stood for the people of Pakistan, and now it's time for the people of Pakistan to stand for him.

What is Al-Qadir trust case?

Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, and his wife Bushra Bibi are facing a NAB case related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon.

The settlement reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer. Khan and other accused parties are charged with adjusting Rs50 billion, equivalent to 190 million pounds at the time, which was sent by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Britain to the Pakistani government.

The government authorities accused of receiving an undue benefit in the form of over 458 kanals of land at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, to establish Al Qadir University.