Pakistani anti-graft court hands over ex-PM Khan to police for eight days

A Pakistani anti-graft court has sent former prime minister Imran Khan to police custody for eight days in a corruption case, a court record showed on Wednesday.

The court, which was temporarily relocated to a police guest house in the capital Islamabad, remanded Khan to the country's anti-corruption agency, the National Accountability Bureau.

The decision came after police held scores of opposition activists in an overnight crackdown across the South Asian country following outrage and widespread protests over Khan's arrest on corruption charges on Tuesday.

Contingents of police and paramilitary forces in riot gear were also deployed around the court, with all roads leading to the site sealed.

Military called

Pakistan is set to deploy army soldiers to two provinces following the former prime minister's indictment by a court on charges that he unlawfully sold state gifts during his premiership, local media reported.

The order said the date and duration of the deployment, which was requested by the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government, had yet to be finalised, as well as the number of troops involved.

The indictment followed a decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan last October which found Khan guilty of illegally selling state gifts and barred him from holding public office until the next election. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Khan was arrested on Tuesday in another corruption case related to property. The action by Pakistan's anti-corruption body has led to violent protests across the country.

Activists held

At least three people were killed in clashes between the protesting workers belonging to Khan's PTI party and police, according to officials.

Police held scores of opposition activists in an overnight crackdown on Tuesday across Pakistan.

Those held included Umar Sarfraz Cheema, former governor of the northeastern Punjab province, Asad Umar, PTI's secretary general, and several lawmakers and second-tier party leaders.

The PTI on Wednesday called for nationwide protests and a shutdown, but distanced itself from violence, calling upon the supporters to remain peaceful and gather outside police headquarters in Islamabad, where Khan has appeared before a judge.

While mobile internet and social media platforms remain restricted, schools were shut down in many parts of the country.

Earlier, PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the party had no information about Khan's whereabouts.

Khan's lawyer Faisal Chaudhry also told reporters that he had no contact with his client.

'Politically motivated'

The former prime minister was arrested from the Islamabad High Court in one of the several dozen cases filed against him since his ouster last April.

His party says the cases are politically motivated.

Since being removed from power after losing a vote of confidence, he has led a campaign for early elections, and accused the US, as well as the country's powerful military, of removing him from office.

Khan was arrested in connection with alleged corruption involving the Al Qadir University Trust.

It is alleged that the cricketer-turned-politician and his wife, Bushra Bibi, received billions of rupees and a large piece of costly land to build the educational institution in return for releasing an amount of £190 million ($239 million) to a property tycoon in 2020.

The amount was identified and returned to the country by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), following a settlement with real estate tycoon Malik Riaz in 2019.

Pakistan's anti-corruption body alleges that Khan's PTI government struck a deal with Riaz that caused a loss of more than $239 million to the national exchequer, in a quid pro quid arrangement with the businessman.

Khan and his party leaders, however, deny the allegations.