In a shocking turn of events, PTI chief Imran Khan, who was present at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for two hearings on Tuesday afternoon, was taken into custody by the Rangers from the premises.

PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry confirmed the development to Dawn.com, which prompted IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq to direct the Islamabad police chief, the interior ministry secretary the and additional attorney general to appear before the court within 15 minutes.

The IHC CJ said that he was showing “restraint” and warned that he would “summon” the prime minister if the Islamabad police chief did not appear before the court.

“Come to court and tell us why has Imran been arrested and in which case,” Justice Farooq said.

PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that the IHC has been “occupied by the Rangers” and lawyers “are being subjected to torture”.

“Imran Khan’s car has been surrounded,” he added.

In another tweet, Fawad alleged that Imran had been “abducted” from the court premises while score of lawyers and general people had been “tortured”.

“Imran Khan has been whisked away by unknown people to an unknown location,” he said.

PTI’s Azhar Mashwani alleged that Imran had been “abducted” from inside the court by Rangers. He said that the party had given an immediate call for staging protests in the country.

PTI leader Musarrat Cheema, in a video message on Twitter, said: “They are torturing Imran Khan right now […] they are beating Khan sahib. They have done something with Khan sahib.”

PTI’s official Twitter account also shared the video of Imran’s lawyer, saying that he was “badly injured” outside the IHC.

It also shared a video of visuals from Imran’s alleged arrest. “Pakistan’s brave people must come out and defend their country,” the party said.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad police said that Section 144 had been imposed in the capital city. It also rejected the PTI’s allegations that people were tortured, adding that police had encircled Imran’s car.

The former premier’s detention follows several unsuccessful attempts, including a police raid at his residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park, to arrest Imran which he had managed to evade successfully.

This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.