Pakistan will deploy army units in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in connection with the mass protests that erupted after the arrest of Imran Khan, the former Pakistani prime minister and the leader of the opposition Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI), the Pakistani Interior Ministry said on Wednesday
NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th May, 2023) Pakistan will deploy army units in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in connection with the mass protests that erupted after the arrest of Imran Khan, the former Pakistani prime minister and the leader of the opposition Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI), the Pakistani Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry noted that the exact number of troops, as well as the date and area of their deployment, would be determined by the provincial authorities in consultation with the defense ministry.
Earlier in the day, the ministry issued a similar order to deploy army units in the province of Punjab. Police added that nearly 1,000 protesters were detained in the province after the riots, with 130 police officers injured in clashes with the rioters.
Imran Khan was taken into custody on Tuesday, following a hearing of the Islamabad High Court in connection with corruption involving the Al-Qadir Trust, which he heads with his wife. The politician is facing an inquiry in a case related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of 50 billion Pakistani rupees ($17.6 million) to the national exchequer.
Following Khan's arrest, PTI called on Pakistani citizens to participate in mass protests and demand the politician's release. Violent demonstrations erupted across the country, with activists setting police vehicles on fire and damaging government property, and the police using gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
On Wednesday, two of Khan's top supporters, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar, were also arrested.
