Khan, already in custody, has been indicted for allegedly selling state gifts during his premiership from 2018 to 2022, reports say.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been indicted for allegedly selling state gifts during his premiership from 2018 to 2022, local news reports say.

Wednesday’s indictment was issued a day after Khan, 70, was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in another corruption case.

The indictment followed a decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan in October that found the former prime minister guilty of “corrupt practices” and disqualified him from being a member of parliament. The commission then sought criminal proceedings against Khan.

The head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is accused of selling gifts given by foreign dignitaries from the state gift depository and not disclosing the assets in declarations submitted to the commission.

Khan has vehemently denied the charges.

A NAB court in the capital, Islamabad, also ruled on Wednesday that Khan should be remanded into police custody for eight days as part of an investigation into the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, in which he was arrested a day earlier. NAB had sought a 14-day remand.

The action by the anti-corruption body has triggered violent protests by Khan’s supporters across the country. At least three of Pakistan’s four provinces have asked the federal government to deploy soldiers to restore order.

The PTI chief has been slapped with dozens of criminal cases since he was removed as prime minister in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April last year. The charges he faces include “terrorism” and corruption. Khan has said the military is behind the move to remove him from office.

He has since held dozens of political rallies calling for early national elections and describing the current coalition government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as “imported”.

Khan’s popularity has gone up since he became opposition leader as the government has failed to address an unprecedented economic crisis.

His supporters have poured out onto the streets across the country, venting their anger against the powerful military, which they blame for Khan’s ouster.