Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday declared former prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest “illegal” and ordered his immediate release.

Imran Khan was on Thursday produced before the top court after it ordered the country’s anti-corruption watchdog to bring the former prime minister as it heard his plea against his dramatic arrest in a graft case.

The order to produce 70-year-old Khan was issued by a three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah.

The bench, which heard the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman’s plea against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case, expressed anger at the way Khan was taken into custody from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.

When it issued the order, the bench directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to produce Khan in an hour.

At the start of the hearing earlier, Chief Justice Bandial asked how an individual could be arrested from the court premises. Justice Minallah observed that Khan had indeed entered court premises. “How can anyone be denied the right to justice? he asked.

The court also observed that no one could be arrested from the court without permission of the registrar of the court. It also observed that the arrest tantamounts to denying access to justice without fear and intimation, which was the right of every citizen.

It also said that entering the premises of a court means surrendering to the court and how a person could be arrested after surrender. If an individual surrendered to the court, then what does arresting them mean? the chief justice said.

Khan’s counsel Hamid Khan informed the court that his client had approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking a pre-arrest bail but was arrested by paramilitary Rangers.

“Rangers misbehaved with Imran Khan and arrested him,” the lawyer said.

The court also took note of about 90 to 100 Rangers personnel entering the court to arrest Khan. What dignity remains of the court if 90 people entered its premises? How can any individual be arrested from court premises? the chief Justice asked.

Chief Justice Bandial also at point observed that the National Accountability Bureau had committed contempt of court. They should have taken permission from the court’s registrar before the arrest. Court staffers were also subjected to abuse, he said.

Khan was arrested on Tuesday from the Islamabad High Court and an accountability court on Wednesday handed him over to the National Accountability Bureau for eight days in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The former premier on Wednesday approached the apex court to set aside the warrants of NAB of May 1 for his arrest and to challenge the Islamabad High Court’s decision to declare the arrest unlawful.

Earlier, the IHC expressed anger at the way Khan was taken into custody. However, it upheld his arrest.

With inputs from PTI

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