'Stronger Pakistan Better For India': Farooq Abdullah Amid Protests Over Imran Khan's Arrest

Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah said, "Pakistan is a separate country. What they do, is their job. All that we want is for Pakistan to stay strong."

Jammu and Kashmir [India], May 12 (ANI): Responding to the ongoing civilian unrest in neighbouring Pakistan in the wake of the arrest of former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a corruption case, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Friday said the stronger Pakistan remains, the better it is for India. Speaking to ANI on Friday, the former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister said, "Pakistan is a separate country. What they do, is their job. All that we want is for Pakistan to stay strong. As long as peace prevails there and Imran Khan remains unharmed...Pakistan has a chequered history. The stronger Pakistan remains, the better it is for India."

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, ihe Islamabad High Court barred authorities from arresting PTI chairman Imran Khan in cases, including those that are undisclosed, until Monday, May 15, Dawn reported. The court also granted protective bail to the former prime minister in three terrorism cases registered against him in Lahore and the Zille Shah murder case.

The verdict came a day after the Supreme Court termed his arrest "invalid and unlawful". It also stopped authorities from arresting the PTI chief till May 17 in any case registered in Islamabad after May 9, Dawn reported.

Imran Khan was arrested outside Islamabad High Court by Pakistan Rangers on a warrant issued by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Tuesday. The Pakistan Rangers broke in through the windows of the bio-metrics room while Imran was present there. They broke in through the windows and arrested the former PM.

Thereafter, the former PM was dragged out of Islamabad High Court, towards a waiting armoured vehicle.
His arrest prompted the PTI workers to erupt in protest against government authorities as well as the army. The protests were met with a crackdown by the authorities. The festering civilian unrest in the wake of Imran's arrest drew concerns from across the world. (ANI)