Pakistan: Hours after Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested by paramilitary Rangers, his successor Shehbaz Sharif responded with a lengthy message on a microblogging site where he alleged Khan of falsely accusing the army and intelligence officials without having any concrete evidence.
Notably, his arrest came just a day after Khan accused top Amry and intelligence officials of plotting an assassination attempt during a public rally last year.
"I have no doubt that lies, misrepresentations and vicious attacks on institutions are the curtain-raisers of your politics. Your attitude is like bending the judiciary to your whims," wrote Sharif in a long message countering Imran's attack on Pakistani army and intelligence officials.
"After losing power, it has been your policy to defame the Pakistan Army as an institution again and again. Even before the Wazirabad incident, aren't you continuing to slander the army, intelligence agencies and their leadership? he asked.
The arrest which Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dubbed as "abduction" came just a day after he accused top army and intelligence officials of the recent assassination attempt.
Even the court was unaware of Khan's arrest motive
Interestingly, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, who has taken notice of the incident and has summoned IG Islamabad, the secretary of the interior and the additional attorney general, claimed he was also not aware of the reason behind his arrest.
Justice Farooq has directed top police officials to inform immediately who was behind the arrest and in what case Imran has been arrested, reported The Express Tribune.
The judge maintained that action would be taken, "even if it has to be taken against ministers".
What is Al-Qadir Trust case?
According to local media reports, he was arrested in Al-Qadir Trust Case. Notably, Khan, during his tenure promised of setting up a project meant for providing quality education in Jhelum, Punjab.
As per reports, Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and several close aides-- Zulfiqar Bukhari and Babar Awan-- were involved in the project. In order to fulfil his promise, Khan formed Al-Qadir University Project Trust in which Bibi, Bukhari, and Awan were named as office bearers.
However, a deal was finalised between the then PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.
As per the charges, Khan and the others accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion — 190 million pounds at the time — sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the government, The News International reported.
They are also accused of getting undue benefit in the form of over 458 acre of land at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, to establish Al Qadir University.
PTI calls supporters to stage protests
Another PTI leader Azhar Mashwani alleged that Khan had been “abducted” from inside the court by the Rangers. He said that the party had given an immediate call for staging protests in the country.
"They are torturing Imran Khan right now […] they are beating Khan sahib. They have done something with Khan sahib," another leader Musarrat Cheema said in a video message posted on the party's Twitter handle.
