(Bloomberg) -- Pakistan's High Court on Monday ordered the arrest of key opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif after it canceled his bail in a money laundering case, just days ahead of a nationwide protest campaign against the government.
A two-judge panel headed by Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem said Sharif -- the president of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party and former chief minister of Punjab province -- was needed for further interrogation at the request of the nation's anti-graft body, party spokeswoman Mariyum Aurangzeb said by phone. He is in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau, she said.
Separately, the anti-graft court also indicted former president Asif Ali Zardari in a money laundering case on Monday, Geo television reported.
The arrest came days ahead of a protest drive announced by opposition parties against Prime Minister Imran Khan, who they accuse of mismanaging the country and its economy.
Shehbaz, his elder brother and ex-premier Nawaz Sharif and other opposition leaders are facing various corruption charges, which they deny.
Pakistan's benchmark KSE-100 Index fell 2.2% at close -- the most in three months -- following the announcement of his arrest.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
