Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan arrested

The former prime minister of Pakistan and leader of the main opposition formation Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, was arrested on Tuesday by the country's paramilitary forces.. The opposition leader was detained near the court in the Pakistani capital, party sources reported.. The arrest of the former prime minister amplifies the political crisis in the country.

The charismatic Pakistani leader was detained at the Pakistani capital's courthouse on his way to court to request a bail measure for one of the cases brought against him after his departure from the government more than a year ago..

Dozens of black-uniformed men from the Ranger unit cornered Khan and his security team.. Footage from the moment of the arrest shows the former prime minister's bodyguards trying to avoid the officers' attacks.. Videos from the scene also show the officers trying to force their way into the court building by breaking the window panes..

“Islamabad High Court has been occupied by Rangers, lawyers are being tortured, Imran Khan's car has been surrounded,” said Khan's aide and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry.. The PTI shared on its Twitter account a video of Khan's lawyer with facial injuries inside the court.

Khan has been implicated in numerous corruption cases, yet the politician has evaded prosecution citing poor health and lack of security after he suffered gunshot wounds to both legs from an assassination attempt last November..

Imran Khan was ousted as prime minister in April last year with a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, following mass protests that rocked the country. Since then, Khan has been trying to return to politics and has called for early elections. Last November, Khan survived an attack when the convoy he was traveling in was gunned down by unidentified men.