Former Pakistan skipper and prime minister Imran Khan arrested in Islamabad

Former Pakistan skipper and prime minister Imran Khan has been arrested in Islamabad. Reports suggest that he has been arrested in front of the Islamabad High Court, where the legendary cricketer went to apply for bail in a number of cases that required his presence. However, his arrest came in a case for which he wasn’t appearing in court.

The incident happened at approx 14:15 local time (2:45 pm IST) when the Pakistan Rangers arrested the 70-year-old as per the local media. Even though the details of the specific offence are yet to be made public it has something to do with Al Qadir University, an institution he founded in the year 2019 during his reign as PM. It is also expected that Imran may end up behind bars for a long time as he was under the scanner for more than a year.

It is reported by ESPNcricinfo that the allegations are based on the land donated to the university by an influential Pakistani businessman Malik Riaz and a quid pro quo arrangement for that land. National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom seized assets worth £190 million and eventually returned that to the Pakistan government later on. However, what the current government did with the land and with the money is still not clear.

Meanwhile, after his arrest, Pakistan Rangers handed Imran over to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for further investigation. On the other hand, the government also imposed Section 144, in which large gatherings have been banned in the nation’s capital. Thus, in case of massive protests, the Pakistan government and army will have the authority to arrest people in numbers.

Reportedly, two attempts were made to arrest the former skipper in the month of March but people gathered in numbers outside his residence to hinder the same. Imran has been going through a tough time since he ceased to hold the office of prime minister.