May 10: Pakistan’s anti-graft watchdog arrested former Prime Minister Imran Khan at Islamabad High Court as Khan’s party called for protests across the country.
The arrest comes at a time when ordinary Pakistanis are swimming from the worst economic crisis in decades. An International Monetary Fund aid package has been delayed for months even though foreign exchange reserves are hardly enough to cover a month’s imports
According to the Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, 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 warrants on May 1. He is accused of corruption.
Khan was expelled from power in a parliamentary vote in April last year. He served four of his five-year term. He will not be allowed from holding public office if found guilty, with a national election scheduled for November. Previous attempts to arrest Khan from his home in Lahore resulted in heavy clashes between his supporters and law enforcement personnel.
Political power struggle is common in Pakistan, where no prime minister has fulfilled a full term. So, the military has ruled for nearly half of the country’s history.
