New Delhi: On the day the Islamabad high court granted two two-week bail to him, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday, May 12, accused the incumbent Pakistani Army chief General Asim Munir of orchestrating his arrest four days ago.
On Tuesday, Khan was dragged out of the same high court building and arrested in a graft case. On Friday, the court granted protection from arrest.
The 70-year-old politician and former cricket star’s arrest was ruled by the Supreme Court on Thursday, May 11, as illegal. It had triggered riots that claimed several lives across the country and the military was deployed to curb unrest.
Khan accuses Army chief
Speaking to the media hours before bail was granted, he accused the Pakistan Army chief General Munir of initiating the action against him. Asked if the battle was between him and the security agencies, he said that only the Army chief was against him. “The Army is getting maligned by the actions of one man,” he said.
This is huge! By naming the incumbent army chief Gen Asim Munir, Imran Khan has turned it into a duel; now only one of them can remain standingpic.twitter.com/bG5JUngF6v
— Mohammad Taqi (@mazdaki) May 12, 2023
Why was Khan in court?
The Pakistani Supreme Court on Thursday instructed the Islamabad high court to look into Khan’s appeal against corruption charges, continuing the proceedings that were abruptly halted on Tuesday.
The top court ordered his release, but did not protect him from corruption charges. The temporary bail is typically renewed under Pakistan’s judicial system.
The former Pakistan cricket captain was ousted as prime minister in a vote of no confidence last year. But this was only the beginning of an escalating power struggle between Khan and the current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Khan also alleges that Pakistan’s military and political elite are working in consort with foreign influences, often singling out the US.
The conflict is happening against a background of intensifying economic tensions caused by recent increases in prices for staple products like food and fuel.
Islamabad on edge
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party said thousands of “peaceful Pakistanis” would gather in support of the former prime minister. Islamabad Police issued an emergency order banning all gatherings in the capital city.
While the area surrounding the court was on lockdown, local media said police and Khan’s supporters clashed elsewhere in the city.
Police have already arrested nearly 2,000 people for violence since Khan’s arrest on Tuesday. At least eight have been killed in clashes with the police.
Inputs from DW were used for this article.