Imran Khan, Pakistan’s former prime minister, has been arrested at the Islamabad High Court.
Mr. Khan appeared in court facing corruption charges, which he claims are politically motivated.
Footage shows dozens of paramilitary forces in armored trucks detaining and then driving away the 70-year-old as he entered the court premises.
Following his detention, demonstrators blocked critical roadways in various locations.
Mr. Khan was deposed as Prime Minister in April of last year and has since campaigned for early elections.
Later this year, general elections will be place.
Raoof Hasan, Mr. Khan’s spokesperson, said that the arrest may throw the country “into chaos and anarchy.”
According to a statement issued by the Inspector-General of Punjab Police, Mr. Khan was arrested because he was accused of “corruption and corrupt practices.”
According to Dawn newspaper, the lawsuit contains claims about the allotment of land under the so-called Al-Qadir Trust, which is held by Mr. Khan and his wife.
Mr. Khan, who is being imprisoned in an unidentified location, maintains that he has broken no laws.
Mr. Khan claimed he was prepared for what lay ahead in a video message recorded as he traveled to Islamabad and broadcast by the PTI before his arrest.
Since his ouster from power, a dozen lawsuits have been filed against Mr Khan.
Security forces attempted to detain him at his Lahore apartment on several previous occasions but were thwarted by his supporters, resulting in fierce fights.
Because police blocked highways into Islamabad on Tuesday, the number of Imran Khan supporters was lower than in prior times, making it simpler to capture him.
He was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018, but he had a falling out with the country’s powerful army. He lost his parliamentary majority after a series of defections. He was deposed in April 2022, four years into his term, after losing a confidence vote.
He has been a vociferous critic of the administration and the country’s army ever since.
He was barred from holding public office in October after being suspected of inaccurately disclosing details of foreign dignitaries’ gifts and revenues from their purported sale.
The next month, he survived a gun attack on his convoy while protesting.
