Top Pakistan court rules Imran Khan's arrest unlawful, streets are quiet

Supporters of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan protest against his arrest, outside Avenfield House, a residential building where former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is reported to own a property in London, Britain May 10, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest was unlawful, two days after his detention on graft allegations triggered deadly violence, escalating his tussle with the powerful military.

The protests coincide with Pakistan's worst economic crisis in decades, with record high inflation, anaemic growth and IMF funding delayed for months, prompting concerns that the country could default on its external payment obligations.