Islamabad: Imran Khan, a former prime minister of Pakistan, has reportedly been detained as he appeared in court in the nation's capital, Islamabad, to answer charges in numerous graft cases.

The 72-year-old Khan was detained on Tuesday on the grounds of the court by National Accountability Bureau agents, according to Fawad Chaudhry, a senior official with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.

Khan was deposed in an April 2022 vote of no confidence. He ran a campaign against his successor's administration, that of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, calling for early elections, claiming that his removal was illegal and the result of a Western conspiracy.

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Khan, according to Chaudhry, was dragged from the court and put into a police car. He claimed that the security forces now have the former premier under custody. The arrest, in his words, was "an abduction."

Images of Khan being dragged by security personnel towards an armoured vehicle that took him away were broadcast on Pakistan's independent GEO TV.

Following the expulsion of the former premier, a brawl broke out between Khan's supporters and law enforcement. According to Chaudhry, several police officers as well as some of Khan's attorneys and supporters were hurt during the altercation.

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Khan's party filed a complaint with the Islamabad High Court right away, and the court asked for a police report outlining the reasons behind Khan's arrest.

The National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan issued arrest warrants for Khan last week in connection with a different case of corruption for which he had not been granted bail, which would have shielded him from arrest under Pakistani law.

On Tuesday evening, Khan will be brought before an anti-graft tribunal, according to the officials, who requested anonymity.

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The government didn't make any additional official comments regarding Khan's detention.

Khan, who resides in the nearby city of Lahore, had travelled to Islamabad earlier in the day to appear before the Islamabad High Court on charges related to numerous graft cases against him. He has asserted that Sharif's administration is attempting to discredit the former cricket star turned Islamist politician by bringing a number of cases against him, including terrorism-related charges.