Pakistan’s anti-corruption agency arrested former Prime Minister Imran Khan at Islamabad High Court on Tuesday, in a dramatic move that threatens fresh turmoil in the country as his party called for nationwide “shut down” protests.
Footage of the arrest showed dozens of security personnel in riot-control gear surrounding Khan and leading him into a black van by his arm.
Dozens of supporters blocked streets in Khan’s hometown of Lahore, where police have been put on high alert.
Protesters also blocked a major road in the port city of Karachi, according to Reuters witnesses.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party called on supporters to “shut down Pakistan”.
“It’s your time, people of Pakistan. Khan has always stood for you, now it’s time to stand for him,” the PTI wrote on Twitter.
Khan, 70, a cricket hero-turned-politician, has showed no sign of slowing down since he was ousted as prime minister last year, even after being wounded in a November attack on his convoy as he led a protest march to Islamabad calling for snap general elections.
His arrest comes at a time when ordinary Pakistanis are reeling from the worst economic crisis in decades, with record high inflation and anemic growth. It also comes amid a dispute with the military dating to 2021.
An International Monetary Fund bailout package has been delayed for months even though foreign exchange reserves are barely enough to cover a month’s imports.
Previous attempts to arrest Khan from his Lahore home resulted in heavy clashes between his supporters and law enforcement personnel.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said in a Tweet that Khan was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after he did not appear before it “despite notices”.
The NAB had issued Khan’s arrest warrant on May 1, according to an order seen by Reuters. “Khan is accused of commission of the offence of corruption and corrupt practices,” it said.
The specific corruption allegations Khan were not immediately clear.
Khan’s graft case is one of over 100 registered against him since he was ousted from power in a parliamentary vote in April last year. He served four of his five-year term.
In most of the cases, Khan faces being barred from holding public office if convicted, with a national election scheduled for November.
Political infighting is common in Pakistan, where no prime minister has yet fulfilled a full term and where the military has ruled for nearly half of the country’s history.
