Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the Al-Qadir trust case. The country’s anti-graft watchdog took him into custody at the Islamabad High Court. However, local sources say that there are serious divisions within the country’s Army cadre amid the current turmoil. They report that there is no visible command and control at the moment, which means that it is easy for groups to enter government institutions. Protesters were able to gain access to Lahore’s government buildings without any trouble, while National public broadcaster Radio Pakistan’s building was set on fire.
The arrest comes as Pakistan faces its worst economic crisis in decades, with high inflation and weak growth. Foreign exchange reserves are barely enough to cover a month’s imports. The IMF bailout package has been delayed for months. Khan is accused of corruption and corrupt practices in one of over 100 cases registered against him since he was ousted from power in April last year. If convicted, he could be barred from holding public office.
