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Arrest of former Pakistan PM sparks protests – JURIST

Pakistan authorities Tuesday arrested former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan outside of the Islamabad courts. Fawad Chaudhry, a senior member of Khan’s party, known as Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI), confirmed the arrest on his Twitter. He wrote that Khan was abducted by “unknown people to an unknown location.”Allegedly agents of the National Accountability Bureau arrested Khan. Agents followed Khan into the Islamabad High Court. Heavy security escorted Khan out of the building while authorities blocked the entrance gate, which Musarrat Cheema, a member of PTI, captured on video.On his way to the Islamabad High Court for a hearing on Tuesday, Khan insisted that he has always followed the law and accused the Pakistani government of being “crooks.” Khan also appealed to the Pakistani people to come and struggle for their rights.Following Khan’s arrest, protests broke out in several cities across Pakistan, including Lahore, Khanpur and Rawalpindi.His arrest comes after a previous attempted arrest by Pakistani authorities in March. The attempted arrest led Human Rights Watch to call upon authorities to “refrain from the unlawful use of force,” which they alleged authorities used against Khan’s supporters. The attempted arrest led to violent clashes between protestors and police. As a result, the court cancelled Khan’s arrest warrant, deeming the situation too dangerous to proceed.Khan faces multiple allegations of corruptions. Pakistan’s Election Committee previously found Khan guilty of illegally retaining and selling state gifts from foreign dignitaries.