Khan, who was ousted as Prime Minister in April last year, has been campaigning for early elections since then.

Footage of the arrest showed paramilitary forces in armoured personnel carriers detaining Khan after he entered the court compound, before driving him away. Khan has repeatedly denied the corruption charges, which he says are politically motivated.

Since being ousted from power, Khan has faced dozens of cases. In November last year, he survived a gun attack on his convoy while holding a protest march.

On Monday, the military warned Khan against making “baseless allegations” after he accused a senior officer of plotting to kill him. The military’s warning came after Khan called for an investigation into the alleged plot.

General elections are due to be held in Pakistan later this year. Khan has been the main opposition leader since being ousted by his opponents in parliament a year ago. The arrest is likely to have significant political implications in the run-up to the elections.