Global Courant 2023-05-11 18:24:41
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, marking a major victory for the former leader who was arrested this week as part of a corruption investigation, and an escalating political crisis that has engulfed the country.
In its ruling, the court stated that the authorities Mr. Khan illegally arrested. His lawyers had challenged the legality of the arrest in court on Thursday morning and asked for his release.
The court’s decision is a major political and legal victory for Mr Khan, whose supporters have flooded the streets since his arrest on Tuesday. It also leads to direct conflict between the Supreme Court and the Pakistani military, which is widely regarded as the driving force behind his arrest.
Mr Khan, the former international cricket star turned populist politician, was arrested in connection with a property transfer corruption case – allegations he denies. His detention sparked violent protests across the country as thousands of his supporters came to his aid, attacking military installations and clashing with security forces.
The public’s direct confrontations with Pakistan’s powerful military – which for decades had been an invisible force behind the government – was unlike anything the country has experienced in recent history.
Tensions between Mr Khan and military leaders had increased since he was ousted as prime minister in a vote of no confidence last April. In recent months, thousands of supporters have attended his political rallies, where he called on Pakistan to hold an early general election. Supporters also camped outside his home in Lahore, the country’s second-largest city, to effectively serve as his personal bodyguards.
Mr Khan faces dozens of corruption charges, which he and his supporters have characterized as misuse of the justice system by the government, led by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the military to keep him out of politics.
In the past year, Mr. Khan has rallied his supporters around allegations that the military orchestrated his impeachment and, most recently, that a senior Pakistani military intelligence officer was behind a shooting that left him wounded in November.
On Monday, military officials sharply rebuked those allegations and authorities arrested him the next day. Soon after, protesters flooded the streets, set fires and looted military buildings across the country — scenes of violence that would one day be considered unthinkable in a country where few dared to directly challenge the military.
In response, authorities shut down the internet and mobile phone networks in most of Pakistan, deployed the army in at least two provinces and arrested more than 3,000 protesters. Authorities also arrested more than a dozen key figures in Mr Khan’s political party, including his close aide and former information minister, Fawad Chaudhry.
The military’s media department released a statement late Wednesday admitting a swift and “firm” response to protesters who attacked military installations.
“The facilitators, planners and political rioters involved in these activities have been identified and strict action will now be taken against them,” the statement said. “No one should incite people and take the law into their own hands.”
Zia ur-Rehman and Salman Masood contributed reporting.
