ISLAMABAD (AP) — Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan returned to court on Friday for a hearing that will determine whether he is protected from re-arrest or remains in police custody, a decision that has the government and legions of supporters in suspense. opposition leader after days of violent unrest.
The popular politician, 70, will appear in the same court from which he was forcibly removed before being arrested on Tuesday. The arrest sparked protests across the country in which his supporters attacked military installations, burned cars and ambulances and looted shops. The government has condemned the violence.
Friday’s hearing is part of complex legal maneuvering.
The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Khan’s arrest was unlawful, but asked the lower Islamabad High Court to reconsider its initial decision to uphold the detention.
The high court said it would abide by Friday’s ruling in the Islamabad court and the government indicated it would immediately re-arrest him if the order is upheld.
The politician’s supporters chanted slogans of support upon his arrival in sight amid tight security. The police detained several people who defied the ban on protesting.
The National Accountability Office arrested Khan on Tuesday in connection with corruption allegations when its agents stormed the Islamabad courthouse and dragged him out of the same courtroom to which he returned on Friday.
Violence this week claimed the lives of at least 10 Khan supporters. Dozens of protesters and more than 200 police officers were injured. The protesters burned trucks, cars and patrol cars and blocked roads.
The incidents are reminiscent of those registered after the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto during an electoral act. Her supporters, angered by her death, rampaged through the country for days.
Khan, who was ousted as prime minister following a vote of no confidence last year, faces more than 100 legal cases, most related to allegations of inciting violence and threatening police and government officials. In addition, he is implicated in at least three corruption cases. A new terrorism charge was filed Thursday against him for allegedly inciting his followers to violence after his arrest.
Under the Pakistani legal system, a defendant can request protection to avoid arrest in court hearings, but Khan has not obtained such protection in all his pending cases.
Following the Supreme Court’s release order on Thursday, Khan spent the night at a government residence in Islamabad, accompanied by family and friends. The country’s president, Arif Alvi, also met with him.
Alvi has tried to ease tensions between Khan and the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to prevent an escalation in a nation accustomed to military coups, political crises and violence.
Since Tuesday there have been clashes between protesters and the police. Authorities detained about 3,000 supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, including opponents’ aides, who have been jailed.
Following Khan’s release on Thursday, Sharif’s government criticized Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial over the decision, saying the politician was implicated in corruption cases and therefore should continue to be held. .
Sharif, whose executive accused the court president of bias, called an extraordinary meeting of the government on Friday to discuss the latest developments.