Imran Khan arrested from outside Islamabad High Court

ISLAMABAD:  Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan was on Tuesday arrested by paramilitary Rangers from outside the Islamabad High Court, his party said.

Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was taken into custody by the Rangers when he appeared in court on anti-graft charges, his PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry said.

Former information minister and PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said that the court has been "occupied by the Rangers" and lawyers are being subjected to torture.

"Imran Khan's car has been surrounded," he added.

Another PTI leader Azhar Mashwani alleged that 70-year-old Khan had been abducted from inside the court by the Rangers. He said that the party had given an immediate call for staging protests in the country.

"They are torturing Imran Khan right now [Â…] they are beating Khan sahib. They have done something with Khan sahib," Cheema said in a video message posted on the party's Twitter handle.