President Of Pakistan Ex-PM Imran Khan’s Party Arrested In Lahore: Report

The president of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan’s party was arrested in the eastern city of Lahore on Thursday on charges of corruption, local channel Geo News said.

According to Reuters, Pervez Elahi, president of Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party, joins a long list of key PTI leaders arrested in the security swoop to halt turmoil that has threatened to worsen instability in a country reeling from a crippling financial crisis.

“Pervez Elahi is wanted in several corruption cases,” Amir Mir, caretaker information minister in the eastern province of Punjab, was quoted by Reuters as saying. He added that Punjab’s anti-corruption department had been looking for Elahi for several days. Elahi previously denied accusations of corruption.

Pakistan is beset by political turmoil as Khan’s party has faced a countrywide crackdown since his own arrest on May 9 for suspected graft sparked widespread protests that saw mobs ransacking state installations, including military assets.