Imran Khan says his life is in danger amid Pakistan unrest

Former prime minister expects to be arrested a second time this week

Imran Khan was arrested on May 9 on corruption charges he denies. AP

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has said there is a “danger to my life” amid political turmoil linked to his arrest on corruption claims.

Mr Khan, who survived an assassination attempt after being toppled from power last year, said he expected to be arrested a second time in Islamabad on Tuesday.

He described his first detention as being “abducted by the army”, whose powerful military leadership has clashed with Mr Khan.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said new elections were the only way out of the political crisis.

“Once you have political stability, only then can you bring economic stability,” he said.

“Right now, because there’s political instability, no one knows where the country’s going, people are not even sure the elections will be held on time.”

Asked about threats to his life, he said: “There’s been one assassination attempt I was lucky to survive.

“Yes, there is danger to my life. But much more worrying for us is the danger to our democracy right now.”

Mr Khan, a former Pakistan cricket captain, was arrested on May 9 on accusations that he profited from a deal with a property tycoon while in power.

He rejects the charges as an attempt to discredit him politically.

The charges led to unrest that Mr Khan claims was used as a pretext to detain his supporters. There have also been protests in support of the military.

Crowds supporting Mr Khan were accused of torching public buildings and military properties in various cities, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi.

“I was abducted by the army. I was treated like some terrorist, people around me were beaten up, I was hit by a stick,” Mr Khan said.

“When these images went out there was a reaction … any investigation will reveal there were elements that were planted inside that went out of their way to burn government buildings.”