WATCH: Imran Khan Dragged To Police Vehicle By Security Personnel Outside High Court

Imran Khan Arrest: The former Pakistan PM was seen being taken away by a horde of security personnel in riot gear outside the Islamabad High Court.

Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday from the premises of Islamabad High Court

Source : Screenshot

Amid high drama, former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was arrested by paramilitary Rangers on Tuesday outside the Islamabad High Court where he had gone to attend the hearing in one of the dozens of cases pending since he was ousted from office last year. 

In a video shared by Dr Shahzad Waseem, the Leader of the Opposition in Pakistan, the former cricketer is seen surrounded by a crowd of security personnel dressed in black riot gear and dragged by the collar into a police vehicle.

As the situation became tense, a scuffle broke out between the police and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers. A party spokesperson claimed that the lawyer of Imran Khan and many workers of the party were injured in the scuffle.

Party leader Shireen Mazari said Imran was undergoing a biometric process at the court when the Rangers broke open the glass window and arrested him.

Reuters quoted a witness as saying that shortly after Imran entered the gate of the IHC, contingents of paramilitary forces and armoured personnel carriers entered after him. The gate was blocked by the armoured vehicles while Khan was whisked away shortly after under heavy security, the witness added.

Imran Khan has been arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case in which it has been alleged that the PTI chief and his wife obtained billions of rupees from a real estate firm for legalising Rs 50 billion.

PTI vice-president Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that Imran had been "abducted" from the court premises while score of lawyers and general people were "tortured".

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Imran had failed to appear before the court despite being issued several notices, Dawn reported. "The arrest has been conducted by the National Accountability Bureau for causing losses to the national treasury," he said, adding that Imran was not tortured.

The Islamabad police has imposed restrictions under Section 144 as several PTI workers staged protests across the city.

The arrest comes a day after the Pakistani army accused Khan of levelling baseless allegations against a senior officer of the spy agency ISI.

In a pre-recorded video tweeted from Khan's account, the former PM said, "Till the time these words of mine reach you, I will be arrested in a baseless case. This shows that fundamental rights and democracy in Pakistan have been buried."

"All this is being done because they want me to accept the corrupt, imported government that has been forcefully imposed on us," Khan said.

Khan is facing over 140 cases related to terrorism, blasphemy, murder, violence, and inciting violence.