Imran Khan facing death penalty after Pakistan police charge him under anti-terror la

Imran Khan facing death penalty after Pakistan police charge him under anti-terror laws

Last updated at 18:06pm on 14th November 2007 Comments (5)

Imran Khan is facing the death penalty today after he was charged under Pakistan's anti-terror laws.

Police detained Khan after the fugitive opposition leader appeared at a student protest rally.

Hundreds of students cheered wildly and lifted Mr Khan into the air when he appeared on a university campus in the eastern city of Lahore. Seconds later he was grabbed by men in plain clothes and hustled into a nearby building.

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Students bundle Imran Khan away after the fugitive opposition leader appeared at this student protest rally. He was taken to Pakistani police where he was then arrested

Talath Naqvi, a spokeswoman for a local branch of the Movement for Justice party, said Mr Khan, its chairman, was being held by police.

Earlier this month Mr Khan, who has been critical of President Pervez Musharraf's leadership, had been put under house arrest by the government, but escaped and went into hiding.

News of the latest development came as President Pervez Musharraf claimed he had considered stepping down - but felt he was still the man to lead his country.

In further developments this morning, the under-fire President claimed he had considered resigning - and said he felt "let down" by detained opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.

Speaking to Sky News, he claimed he had been misrepresented by the West and by the media and was actually committed to democracy in Pakistan. He said he was still the right man to lead his country.

Khan's ex-wife, socialite Jemima Khan today spoke of her fears following the arrest.

She said: "I am worried, we are all worried. This is just one more sign that Musharraf has become one of Pakistan's most brutal and oppressive dictators ever."

"Musharraf seems to be so unpredictable and imperious to international pressure. I am worried what he will do next.

Ms Khan said she was currently in talks to stage another London demonstration against Musharraf's regime and was keen to keep public attention on the situation in Pakistan.

She said: "I never usually talk to press, but I am talking to press just to keep the focus on what Musharraf is doing in Pakistan."

"I want to keep up the pressure and highlight that the people affected by this are from all walks of life. It is teachers, lawyers, students, journalists - these people have been targeted while known terrorists are on the loose and have not been put on trial despite Musharraf's words."

Ms Khan said she had not had heard from her ex-husband since his arrest earlier today, but that he had been in regular contact whilst in hiding. "We have had contact with him every day," she said.

She added: "We are all worried - myself, my children and all Imran's friends. But equally so are the relatives and friends of everyone under house arrest, or who have been beaten or are in hiding."

It has also been confirmed that Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister, would remain under house arrest in Lahore for at least another day.

Mrs Bhutto yesterday deepened the political crisis by demanding the resignation of General Musharraf.

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Surrounded by students, Khan is calmly led away

She was placed under house arrest yesterday for the second time since her return from exile, and a senior federal government official said the order would not be lifted until tomorrow at the earliest.

"The position for her will remain like this until at least tomorrow. Then the government will review what to do with her," the official said.

Mrs Bhutto demanded yesterday that Gen Musharraf step down, dashing Western hopes that the two leaders would form an alliance to confront the Islamist extremists strengthening their grip on the country.

She said she was working to forge a partnership with Nawaz Sharif, who was overthrown as prime minister in a 1999 coup by Gen Musharraf.

Mrs Bhutto's call, which could see the two main opposition parties joining forces, presented a new threat to Gen Musharraf, a US ally who faces growing pressure at home and abroad to end emergency rule and restore democracy.

Today eight Pakistani soldiers were injured by a bomb in a region of northwest Pakistan where followers of a pro-Taliban cleric have taken control of a town.

The bomb hit a military convoy near Batkhela in the Swat Valley, where fighters loyal to cleric Maulana Fazlullah have been battling troops since July, a military statement said.

About 400 armed militants reportedly took over Alpurai, another town in the valley about 100 miles northwest of the capital, Islamabad.

Militants drove into Alpurai last night in about 12 pickup trucks and "within no time succeeded in securing control of the townî, a local newspaper said.

They seized nearly all government offices, including the police headquarters and the office of the senior local administrator.

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After being taken by the students, Khan is now in police custody under anti-terror laws

Armed supporters of Fazlullah, who is demanding implementation of Taliban-style Islamic laws in Swat, have gained control of much of the area. He uses an illegal FM radio station to call for support.

The army said yesterday that its helicopters attacked suspected militant hideouts in Swat, killing four men and destroying a munitions dump.

President Pervez Musharraf: Says he considered resigning

Mobbed: Bhutto at a supporter's house before she was put under house arrest