Imran Kahn was in court yesterday facing charges in multiple corruption cases.
Dozens of paramilitary troops in riot control gear surrounded Khan and led him into a black van. A scuffle broke out between Khan’s supporters and police outside the court and violence quickly spread across the country. About four thousand of Khan’s supporters stormed the official residence of the top regional commander, smashing windows and doors, damaging furniture, and staging a sit-in as troops there retreated to avoid violence.
Authorities in three of Pakistan’s four provinces imposed an emergency order banning all gatherings after Khan’s supporters clashed with police, blocked major roads in a string of cities, and stormed military buildings. The clashes killed one of the protesters and injured 12 people, including six police officers. Khan’s arrest comes a day after the powerful military rebuked him for repeatedly accusing a senior military officer of trying to engineer his assassination and the former armed forces chief of being behind his removal from power last year.
Khan was ousted in April 2022 as prime minister in a parliamentary nonconfidence vote. He was also wounded in an attack on his convoy in November as he led a protest march to Islamabad calling for snap general elections. Khan is the seventh former prime minister to be arrested in Pakistan.
