Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been arrested while appearing for hearings at the Islamabad High Court.
The arrest on Tuesday is the latest twist in a months-long political crisis and follows several unsuccessful attempts to apprehend the cricketer-turned-politician, including a police raid in March at his residence in the eastern city of Lahore that he had managed to evade.
Khan was charged in a number of cases that his party says are politically motivated, that include allegations ranging from corruption to terrorism to rioting, and that have unfolded since he was ousted from power in a no-confidence vote last April.
From blaming the United States for toppling his government to getting shot in the leg at a rally to force snap polls, here is a timeline of the events that have led to Khan’s arrest:
April 10, 2022: Khan is voted out of office in a no-confidence vote.
May 25-26, 2022: Khan leads his “long march” into Islamabad; the protest is called off to avoid confrontation.
July 18, 2022: Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party sweeps Punjab province in a by-election.
Aug 22, 2022: Khan is charged under an “anti-terror” law; charges are later dropped.
October 21, 2022: Pakistan’s election commission disqualifies Khan from running for public office for five years.
October 28, 2022: Khan launches his second “long march” from Lahore to Islamabad to force early elections.
November 3, 2022: Khan is shot in the leg in a protest convoy in Punjab province.
March 5, 2023: Police attempt to arrest Khan by court order; the ex-PM evades arrest in Lahore.
May 9, 2023: Paramilitary security officials arrest Khan in a case filed by the anti-corruption body; his party calls the arrest an abduction.
