Imran Khan was taken into custody on Tuesday in a corruption case by Rangers staff from the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader was detained as part of the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) investigation into the Al-Qadir Trust case prior to his appearance before the IHC bench to ask for bail in several FIRs that had been filed against him.
This is not the first time that previous presidents of state have been jailed in Pakistan; there have been other occasions. Consequently, the following is a list of prime ministers who were detained in different circumstances throughout the course of the nation’s history:
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.
The military coup led by General Ayub Khan was rejected by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Pakistan’s fifth prime minister, in January 1962. As a result, he was detained on false accusations of “anti-state activities.”
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan’s ninth prime minister, was detained in September 1977 on charges that he had conspired to kill a rival in 1974. Sadly, he received the death penalty, which was thereafter executed on April 4, 1979, bringing a devastating end to his remarkable career.
Benazir Bhutto.
Benazir Bhutto, who was twice elected as prime minister from 1988 to 1990 and then from 1993 to 1996, was arrested and put under house arrest for a total of 90 days in August 1985.
She was once more detained the following year, in August 1986, for denouncing the government at a rally in Karachi commemorating Independence Day, demonstrating her steadfast opposition to persecution and injustice.
Benazir Bhutto received a five-year prison sentence in April 1999 for corruption, as well as a lifetime ban on holding public office and a staggering fine of more than £5 million.
In an effort to stop Benazir Bhutto from leading a lengthy protest against General Musharraf’s government, she was once more detained in November 2007 for a week.
Nawaz Sharif.
Nawaz Sharif, a well-known political figure, was exiled for ten years starting in September 2007 under General Pervez Musharraf’s rule. He was arrested upon his return to Pakistan and sent to Saudi Arabia to complete the remaining years of his exile before being sent back.
Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz received a 10-year prison sentence each in July 2018 for corruption-related offences. Their political careers suffered a severe setback as a result of this judgement, which also had a profound effect on Pakistan’s political climate.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
A former Pakistani prime minister named Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was arrested in July 2019 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on suspicion of corruption in connection with the LNG case.
Imran Khan.
In May 2023, Imran Khan, who had previously held the position of Pakistani Prime Minister, was taken into custody by Rangers forces following NAB’s instructions. In the Al-Qadir University Trust case, he was accused of corruption.
