As it stands, former premier Imran Khan, the main opposition leader, cannot fight this election after he was barred from public office for five years after a corruption investigation.

The jail custody has been extended until Sept 26.

Khan had been charged with abetting the murder of Supreme Court lawyer Abdul Razzaq, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in the southwestern city of Quetta.

Khan was jailed this month after his conviction for corruption and then barred from politics for five years, preventing him from contesting a general election due late this year.

His party says it will challenge the disqualification in high court.

The arrest is the latest in a series of blows that have weakened Khan's political standing, after he fell out with Pakistan's powerful military and his party splintered.

It is not known when the case will resume, though the halt is expected to be brief.

The 70-year-old former international cricket star faces more than 150 cases registered against him since his ousting in April last year.

The political unrest has worsened as Pakistan faces its worst economic crisis in decades.

He has also laid out his own terms for any such operation.

He cites 'information that there are around 40 terrorists hiding there'.

It is not clear if Khan, who denies the charges, will heed the summons.