The PTI’s supporters gather in various cities, including Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad, to protest against his arrest.
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-May 9th, 2023) Protests erupted across Pakistan on Tuesday, after Imran Khan, the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was arrested as he appeared before the Islamabad High Court.
The arrest was related to several cases that had been pending against him since his ousting last year.
Khan's supporters gathered in various cities, including Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad, to protest against his arrest. In response, law enforcement officials used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, while protesters blocked roads in Islamabad, Peshawar, and other cities. There were also reports of PTI supporters damaging public property and setting police vehicles on fire in several cities.
Khan has been booked in multiple cases since his ousting last year.
The PTI party issued a statement on Twitter, calling on its supporters to "shut down Pakistan" in response to Khan's arrest. The party also urged its supporters to stand with Khan, stating: "It’s your time, people of Pakistan. Khan has always stood for you, now it's time to stand for him."
Previous attempts to arrest Khan from his Lahore home resulted in violent clashes between his supporters and law enforcement personnel. Muhammad Rafique, a 45-year-old shopkeeper, stated, "Imran Khan is our red line. Even a scratch on him is not acceptable. We will sacrifice our lives, but we will free Imran Khan."
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced that a meeting of the party's central leadership and members of the emergency committee, formed by the party chief, would be held to determine the future course of action following the arrest of Chairman Imran Khan.
Qureshi added that the situation would be assessed before announcing any decisions.
The emergency committee comprises PTI leaders Saifullah Niazi, Azam Swati, Ijaz Chaudhary, Murad Saeed, Ali Amin, and Qureshi himself. Qureshi also criticized the alleged torture of the party chief during the arrest, as well as the "attack" on the Islamabad High Court, where Khan was arrested.
He condemned the law enforcement personnel for taking Khan into custody during biometric verification and for storming the court. Qureshi vowed that the party will continue to fight a legal and political battle with full determination.
Al-Qadir Trust case:
Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, and his wife Bushra Bibi are facing the NAB case related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which allegedly caused a loss of 190 million Pounds to the national exchequer.
Khan and other accused parties are charged with adjusting Rs50 billion, equivalent to 190 million pounds at the time, which was sent by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Britain to the Pakistani government. The government authorities accused of receiving an undue benefit in the form of over 458 kanals of land at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, to establish Al Qadir University.
