In the Al-Qadir Trust case, the former prime minister Imran Khan was detained on Tuesday on the grounds of the Islamabad High Court, but this is not a new episode in the nation’s history.
The list of Prime Ministers who have been detained in Pakistan in addition to Imran Khan is as follows.
Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy first prime minister to be detained in Pakistani history was Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy, who was crucial to the country’s effort to gain independence. He was detained in solitary confinement in Karachi jail after being taken into custody on January 30, 1962, under the rule of General Ayub Khan. after ten months, released.
Ali Zulfiqar Bhutto was the second prime minister to be detained. He was taken into custody on suspicion of murder in September 1977, and almost a year and a half later, on April 4, 1979, in Rawalpindi, he was hanged after receiving a death sentence from both the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court.
Benazir Bhutto, the daughter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, held the position of prime minister of Pakistan twice, first while serving a six-month prison sentence following her father’s execution and later while under house arrest. Benazir was detained once more by the Zia government in March 1981 and held in Sukkur Jail. She was freed in 1984, three years later.
Nawaz Sharif, who served as Pakistan’s prime minister three times, was incarcerated numerous times; the first time, following the departure of the government in October 1999, he was detained for 425 days in Adiala Jail. He was detained for two months at Adiala Jail after being arrested. The Islamabad High Court postponed his sentence on medical reasons after he had been imprisoned for two months. However, on December 24, 2018, he was again arrested in connection with the Al-Azizia case and was transferred first to Adiala and then to Kot Lakhpat Jail. and freed from custody.
Yusuf Raza Gilani the previous leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, was detained by the NAB in February 2001 on suspicion of abusing his position as speaker of the National Assembly. He was found guilty in June 2002 and was sentenced to Adalia Jail. Yusuf Raza Gilani became the first Pakistani Prime Minister to receive a brief prison term for contempt of court after serving more than 5 years and 8 months in prison.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in connection with the LNG import case, NAB detained and jailed former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on July 18, 2019. After serving 223 days in prison, he was granted bail by the Islamabad High Court and released.
Shehbaz Sharif the current prime minister, was detained by NAB on September 28, 2020, outside the Lahore High Court for being denied temporary bail in a money laundering case. On April 23, 2021, almost seven months later, he was granted bail and freed from Kot Lakhpat Central Jail.
Imran is the eighth prime minister in total to be threatened with arrest in Pakistan.
