Imran Khan arrested; lawyers, public reportedly tortured as Khan taken away

Islamabad: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday during a court appearance in one of the many graft cases pending against him since he was ousted from office last year. The arrest was made in relation to the Qadir Trust case, according to the official Islamabad police Twitter account.

Khan's relations with the powerful military have deteriorated significantly, with the military warning him against making "baseless allegations" after he accused a senior officer of plotting to kill him, says a Dawn report.

Numerous lawyers and members of the public have reportedly been subjected to physical abuse, while Imran Khan has been taken away by unidentified individuals to an undisclosed destination. Fawad Chaudhary, the spokesperson for Khan's party, the PTI, stated that the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court has instructed the Secretary of the Interior and the IG police to appear before the court within 15 minutes.

At a weekend rally in Lahore, Khan repeated claims that a senior intelligence officer, Maj. Gen. Faisal Naseer was involved in an assassination attempt last year. The military's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) wing called the allegations "fabricated and malicious." Criticism of the military establishment is rare in Pakistan, where army chiefs hold significant influence over domestic politics and foreign policy.

Khan is facing dozens of charges that were brought against him since he was ousted. Khan's arrest highlights the growing tensions between the military and the civilian government in Pakistan. It also underscores the country's deep political and economic problems.