Online Desk: At least eight people were killed, as many as 290 were injured, and over 1,900 enraged protesters were rounded up in running battles with law enforcers across the country on Wednesday, as an accountability court in Islamabad handed over the custody of their leader Imran Khan to NAB for eight days in connection with the Al Qadir Trust case.

The violent protests provoked by the PTI chairman’s arrest entered the second day on Wednesday, as police and PTI supporters engaged in bloody clashes throughout the day that resulted in damage to several government installations, including police stations. Late in night, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry was arrested hours after central Secretary General Asad Umar taken into custody.

In a bid to control the worsening situation, the government called in the military in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad. The deployment came a day after protesters stormed the residence of the corps commander in Lahore and tore down a gate of GHQ in Rawalpindi.

The attacks on army property prompted a harsh statement from its media wing, with its spokesperson calling out the ‘hypocrisy’ of a political group that used the public for its “limited and selfish” interests. Nevertheless, a police office in Islamabad, a police station in Lahore, Radio Pakistan’s building in Peshawar, and Scouts Fort in Chakkdara, Lower Dir, were set on fire by the mob.

8-day remand

As his supporters rallied for him outside Police Lines in Islamabad, an accountability court was temporarily moved to the police headquarters which handed over the custody of Imran Khan to the NAB officials for interrogation. The media persons were not allowed to witness the proceedings of the case. According to officials, NAB sought 14-day remand of the former premier, but the court agreed to grant eight-day physical remand.

NAB will interrogate Imran Khan in the sub-jail as it took his custody from the accountability court. According to NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, the NAB chairman can designate the said guest house as sub-jail to detain Imran Khan. He said that under the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), the chairman can designate any place to detain suspects. Imran Khan was arrested on the high court’s premises and taken to the NAB Rawalpindi office in G-6 on Tuesday.

The IHC chief justice on the petition of Imran Khan held that the arrest was not per se illegal but he questioned the manner in which the former prime minister was taken into custody. The court has also commenced contempt proceeding against the secretary of interior and the IG Islamabad.

In the case, NAB alleged that Khan’s PTI government struck a deal with Malik Riaz that caused a loss of more than $239m to the national exchequer, in a quid pro quid arrangement with the real estate mogul.