Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan take cover after riot police officers fire tear gas to disperse them during clashes, in Lahore, Pakistan, March 15, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP
Pakistan police arrested a number of supporters of Imran Khan on March 20 for their alleged involvement in the attacks on the security personnel outside a court here over the weekend where the ousted premier arrived from Lahore to appear in the much-awaited hearing in a corruption case.
The raft of arrests was the latest amid the mounting cases filed against Mr. Khan, the chief of the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Monday’s arrests bring the total number of Mr. Khan’s followers detained in Islamabad to 198 since March 18. Among those arrested also include Mr. Hassan Niazi, Mr. Khan’s nephew.
The details of the other arrests were not known immediately. His supporters threw firebombs and hurled stones at the officers as riot police wielded batons and fired tear gas. More than 50 officers were injured and a police checkpoint, several cars and motorcycles were torched.
Lahore Police on March 19 booked Mr. Khan and over 1,000 PTI workers under terrorism charges in two cases. The number of cases against Mr. Khan has climbed up to 97.
Police also claimed to have recovered rifles, Kalashnikovs, bullets, marbles and petrol bombs from his house during the search operation.
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Mr. Khan, 70, who arrived in the federal capital from Lahore on March 18, appeared at the gates of the district court in the much-awaited corruption case. However, due to the violence outside the judicial complex, the judge allowed Mr. Khan to return home after signing a register.
The former Prime Minister has been in the cross hairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana, and selling them for profit.
Mr. Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan in October 2022, for not sharing details of the sales. The election body later filed a complaint with the district court to punish him, under criminal laws, for selling the gifts he had received as Prime Minister of the country. He has vehemently denied those charges.
Mr. Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician was ousted from power in April 2022, after losing a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was part of a U.S.-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China, and Afghanistan.
Since his ouster, he has been demanding early elections to remove what he termed an “imported government” led by Prime Minister Sharif.
Mr. Sharif has maintained that elections will be held later this year once the parliament completes its five-year tenure.
