Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, has been granted bail by the High Court in Islamabad, just days after his dramatic arrest on corruption charges. The court ordered his temporary release for two weeks, following a petition filed by Khan's party to challenge the illegal land acquisition charges against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NBI).
Khan has been at the forefront of a popular campaign against the current government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accusing it of colluding with senior military leaders to remove him from office and keep him locked out of politics. He has also made allegations that the government worked with the United States in a conspiracy to remove him from office, claims which have been rejected by both parties.
In his first public comments since his arrest, Khan accused the country's powerful army chief, General Syed Asim Munir, of being behind his arrest. The army has previously rejected Khan's claims that it had anything to do with past purported attempts on his life.
The crisis has led to protests and unrest across the country, with at least eight people dead and hundreds arrested. Unprecedented scenes emerged following Khan's arrest of defiant crowds breaking into military properties and setting the homes of army personnel ablaze, directly challenging a usually untouchable force that has long sat at the apex of power in Pakistan.
In a bid to quell the chaos, the government has blocked mobile internet services, disrupting access to social media like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, as well as key delivery apps and even digital payment platforms. Police have also arrested several senior leaders of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for "inciting arson and violent protests".
The crisis comes as the nation of 220 million people grapples with an acute economic crisis, as soaring inflation leaves people unable to afford food and fuel. This has heightened fears about the country's stability in what is an election year for Pakistan, with many concerned about the potential for further unrest and political instability.