Guwahati: In a big relief to Imran Khan, Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the immediate release of the former Prime Minister after terming his dramatic arrest as “illegal”.
The Supreme Court also directed Imran Khan to approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and asked him to “accept” the decision taken by the top court.
Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust (land fraud case) case on Tuesday which sparked deadly and widespread protests across the South Asian country, prompting the government to call in the Army to help restore law and order.
The Supreme Court also expressed anger at the way Imran Khan was taken into custody from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.
Following his arrest, supporters of Imran Khan stormed the Pakistan Army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore. Violence erupted in several cities in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on Wednesday filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Islamabad High Court’s ruling which backed the arrest of Imran Khan.
On Thursday, a three-member bench of Pakistan’s Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah, 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.