Imran Khan: Why was the former Pakistan PM arrested?

Imran Khan, Pakistan's hugely fashionable erstwhile premier minister, was arrested connected Tuesday connected corruption charges - a infinitesimal helium had successfully avoided for respective months.

Previous attempts had ended successful adjacent misses. In March, a tribunal bid to detain him was thwarted by pitched battles betwixt his supporters and constabulary extracurricular his location successful Lahore.

His arrest, which happened portion helium was successful tribunal successful the superior Islamabad, was nary little dramatic. The 70-year-old is hardly disposable among a swarm of officers successful riot cogwheel arsenic they escort him extracurricular and bundle him into a vehicle.

Mr Khan has faced dozens of charges, from corruption to sedition, since helium was ousted aft losing a assurance vote past year. So his apprehension is not unexpected.

But it has enraged his supporters and adjacent shocked a state that was hoping for an extremity to the governmental stand-off that has pushed Pakistan to the brink.

Pakistan's authorities says helium was taken into a custody for not co-operating with authorities successful an ongoing corruption investigation.

The lawsuit alleges that Mr Khan, portion helium was the PM, received onshore arsenic a bribe successful speech for governmental favours. It revolves astir an probe conducted by Britain's National Crime Agency into "laundered" wealth by Pakistan's biggest spot tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain.

Mr Hussain allegedly gave the onshore to the Al-Qadir Trust, which was acceptable up by Mr Khan's 3rd wife, Bushra Bibi. Mr Khan, who denied the charges, said that the onshore had been donated for charitable purposes.

Mr Hussain denied laundering money. But his presumption connected the question of onshore for favours is not known - helium appeared earlier Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau investigators earlier this twelvemonth and recorded a connection successful the Al-Qadir Trust case, but it has not been made nationalist oregon reported successful the media.

Since his apprehension Mr Khan has been indicted successful different graft case. This 1 alleges helium did not disclose wealth helium earned by selling gifts helium had received connected overseas visits arsenic PM. A proceeding successful this lawsuit saw charges pressed for the archetypal clip against Mr Khan connected Wednesday and helium pleaded not guilty.

Analysts judge that present that helium is successful custody, courts mightiness indict him successful a bid of cases - a destiny helium has repeatedly avoided by either missing the appointment, oregon appearing successful higher courts, heavy guarded, lone to use for protective bail. He was, successful fact, successful tribunal connected Tuesday to question protective bail against apprehension erstwhile helium was yet whisked disconnected into custody.

Mr Khan himself seemed to person been prepared for it. After helium was detained, helium released a video that had been recorded earlier, saying it was apt helium would beryllium arrested by the clip his supporters saw the message.

But it's imaginable neither helium nor his lawyers expected him to beryllium arrested connected the tribunal premises due to the fact that Mr Khan has appeared successful tribunal for bail before. But this clip the executors of the warrant were not police, but a paramilitary force, the Punjab Rangers.

Leaders and supporters of Mr Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) enactment reason this is impervious of the army's involvement. They accidental the apprehension has small to bash with corruption charges and everything to bash with Mr Khan's ongoing nationalist conflict with the army. He has accused the service and the spy agency, the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), of conspiring to assassinate him - helium survived a shooting past year.

The country's generals, who person seized powerfulness 3 times since Pakistan's independency successful 1947, person agelong played a salient relation successful politics. Mr Khan excessively was believed to person their enactment arsenic helium roseate to power. But the privilege of his birth, his fame calved of cricketing glory, and his charisma drove his popularity acold higher than thing Pakistan has seen successful caller years.

When helium was ousted arsenic PM, galore believed it was arsenic overmuch the effect of his mediocre way grounds successful office, arsenic it was a falling retired with the army. But helium rapidly went connected the offensive, criticising the service and embracing a populist communicative that resonated with people. And helium did this loudly, holding rallies and marches that drew monolithic crowds and campaigning for section elections, astir of which his enactment went connected to win.

This continued for months adjacent arsenic Mr Khan managed to evade arrest. Then helium publically accused an quality authoritative of trying to assassinate him. Infuriated service officials denied the charge, and conscionable the time earlier his arrest, warned him not to repetition it.

Now, with the military's gloves off, Mr Khan's supporters accidental the service has crossed a "red line" - that of the erstwhile PM himself. And arsenic nationalist choler turns against the army, Pakistan is witnessing an unprecedented moment.

In a connection the subject said 9 May would beryllium remembered arsenic "a acheronian chapter" and warned of an "extreme reaction" if protesters carried retired much attacks connected subject and different authorities installations.

The uncertainty surrounding Mr Khan has paralysed Pakistan for months.

The nuclear-armed authorities of 231 cardinal radical is already battling soaring nutrient prices, a long-running economical situation and extremist violence. Talks with the IMF implicit a much-needed bailout person stalled, and elections, owed this year, are besides caught successful the governmental stalemate.

Analysts judge that Mr Khan's apprehension lone adds to the increasing instability and diminishes immoderate accidental of a solution betwixt the erstwhile PM and the establishment, beryllium it the authorities oregon the army.

The 13-member conjugation which is successful powerfulness - led by Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif - says it has "nothing to bash with the arrest", which followed owed process.

But others accidental Mr Khan's apprehension benefits the authorities due to the fact that if helium is recovered guilty, helium would beryllium disqualified from contesting elections, perchance for life.

Mr Khan's emergence to the apical of Pakistani authorities was astir arsenic meteoric arsenic his sporting career. He adjacent managed to recast himself from a playboy cricketing icon into a pious person arsenic helium sought the apical occupation successful the country.

But the service - which galore judge had allied with him connected his way to the PM's chair, contempt denials from some parties - present appears to beryllium connected the different side.

What that means for Mr Khan and Pakistan is inactive unclear due to the fact that the state finds itself successful uncharted waters.