Islamabad, May 11 (EFE).- Pakistan’s top court Thursday declared that the detention of the former prime minister, Imran Khan, on was “unconstitutional,” directing the police to bring the incarcerated leader before it within an hour.
Khan was held by the paramilitary troopers on Tuesday in a dramatic move from court complex, sparking clashes between his supporters and police that claimed at least eight lives.
The Islamabad High Court termed his arrest legal.
But a three-member Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial sought an explanation from the police on “how Khan could be arrested from court premises,” judicial officer Ishtiaq Ahmed told EFE.
The bench issued the order to bring Khan to the top court after a petition by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, seeking to cancel the high court ruling.
The official said the court lashed out at the authorities as “the judges were of the view that due legal procedure was not followed when Imran Khan was arrested.”
The former prime minister, who faces several corruption and terrorism charges, was taken into custody in a graft case relating to alleged financial malpractices in setting up a multi-million dollar university project trust in the eastern Punjab province. EFE
aa-ssk
