(BBC News) Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges a day after his arrest sparked nationwide protests.
Eight people have died in the protests and about 1,000 have been arrested, police say.
The army is being deployed in some areas, and has issued a stern warning after crowds attacked its properties.
Khan’s arrest dramatically escalated tensions between Khan and the military at a time of economic crisis.
Conviction would disqualify the former cricket star – prime minister from 2018 to 2022 – from standing for office, possibly for life. Elections are due later this year.
Dramatic footage showed dozens of security officers forcibly removing the 70-year-old from court on Tuesday, then bundling him into a police vehicle.
There is tight security at the police guesthouse where he is being detained, which is also serving as a courtroom.
On Wednesday Khan was indicted on charges that he unlawfully sold state gifts during his premiership, in a case brought by the Election Commission.
He denies the allegations and says he fulfilled all legal requirements.
It was the first of dozens of cases against him in which he has been formally charged.
For months he had avoided arrest, with his supporters at times fighting pitched battles with police to keep him out of custody.
Tuesday’s arrest was based on a new warrant for a separate corruption case, connected to the alleged transfer of land for Al-Qadir University, near Islamabad. The judge remanded Khan in custody for eight days in this case.
One of his lawyers, Sher Afzal Marwat, said his client was faring well and relayed a message to supporters not to give up: “You have to stand your ground for Rule of Law,” Khan said.
His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said it would challenge the legality of his arrest in court.
