VIOLENT protests erupted in Pakistan following the dramatic arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a corruption case. Protesters attacked more than 14 Government buildings, looted and caused serious damage to Government property and more than 25 vehicles of the police and Government agencies were destroyed and burnt. M i s c r e a n t s involved in violent acts, vandalism, damage to public and private property throughout the province have been arrested, said Punjab Police. Later Army troops were deployed in Punjab to maintain law and order in the most populous province after violent protests in several cities and attacks on military installations. The decision was taken by the Interior Ministry at the request of the Punjab Government, according to a notification issued by the Federal Government. “The exact numbers of troops/ assets, date and area of deployment will be worked out by Provincial Government in consultation” with the Army headquarters, according to the notification. The Army would be working alongside district administration to restore law order and peace, the ministry said. In the day, an anti-corruption court in Pakistan reserved its verdict on the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) request for a 14-day physical remand of the former Prime Minister. An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Wednesday sent former Prime Minister on an eight-day physical remand to the National Accountability Bureau.

 

He was produced in the Anti-Accountability Court No. 1 presided by judge Muhammad Bashir, the same judge who had convicted former Premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam in a corruption case of having properties in London. Maryam was later on set free in the case by the Islamabad High Court. However, Sharif’s case is still pending in the high court as he failed to appear before the court. At the start of the hearing, the NAB lawyers requested the court to grant a 14-day remand of Khan to probe against him the allegation. But Khan’s lawyer opposed the plea and asked the judge to release him as the charges were fabricated. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its ruling. But later announced the reserved verdict, and sent Khan on an eight-day physical remand to the NAB. In his statement, Khan told the accountability court that he was fearful for his life, the ‘ExpressTribune’ newspaper reported. “I have not been to the washroom in 24 hours,” he said. Khan requested the court to grant his doctor Faisal Sultan access to him. “I am afraid I will meet the same fate as ‘Maqsood Chaprasi’,” Khan said, referring to a witness in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ’s money laundering case who died due to a cardiac arrest last year. Khan’s party had termed the witness’ death ‘mysterious’.

 

 

 

 

 A DAY after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, former Governor of Punjab province Omar Sarfaraz Cheema was taken into custody on Wednesday during a raid at his house by the AntiCorruption Establishment (ACE). Taking to his officialTwitter account, PTI leader Hammad Azhar confirmed that Cheema was arrested in the early morning hours of Wednesday, ‘The Express Tribune’ reported. “Former Governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema being taken... byWho?Where? On what charges?” he questioned. The video showed officials, dressed in regular clothes, inside Cheema’s house.

 

 

 

 

A PAKISTANI court on Wednesday indicted Imran Khan in the Toshakhana corruption case, in fresh trouble for the former Prime Minister who was arrested by paramilitary Rangers a day earlier from the Islamabad High Court premises. Khan, 70, has been in the dock for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch, he received as the Premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana and selling them for profit. Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other Governments and States and foreign dignitaries. Khan was present in the District and Sessions Court where judge Humayun Dilawar conducted the hearing. 

 

 

(IANS) THE Pakistan Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ’s (PTI) petition challenging the Islamabad High Court’s decision to term party chief Imran Khan’s arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as “legal”, media reports said. PTI’s legal team headed by the party’s senior VicePresident Fawad Chaudhry submitted the petition. However, the registrar’s office returned it minutes after it was submitted. The registrar’s office stated that the PTI chief did not approach the relevant forum, adding that he could file an intra-court appeal. The petition did not have signatures of Khan.