Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested and bundled into a prison van by the paramilitary Rangers on Tuesday from Islamabad High Court, sparking massive protests across the country by his supporters who stormed the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore.

The arrest of the 70-year-old former cricketer comes a day after the powerful army accused Khan of levelling baseless allegations against a senior officer of spy agency ISI.

The chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was undergoing a biometric process at the court when the Rangers broke open the glass window and arrested him after beating lawyers and Khan’s security staff, according to senior party leader Shireen Mazari.

Footage showed the Rangers grabbing Khan by the collar and bundling him into a prison van. The Rangers, which operate under the interior ministry, are usually commanded by officers on secondment from the army.