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Protesters in Pakistan forestall police from arresting Imran Khan Lalrp

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ISLAMABAD — Fierce clashes between Pakistani police and the supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan round his Lahore residence stretched into their second day Wednesday, leaving many injured, earlier than they have been halted by a court docket order and a cricket match.

The clashes broke out a day earlier when police tried to arrest the previous premier after he failed to look earlier than a court docket within the capital, Islamabad, on corruption expenses.

The standoff in Lahore highlighted the rising political disaster within the nuclear-armed nation that has additionally been devastated by current floods and terrorist assaults. The protests by Khan’s followers unfold to the cities of Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Sialkot and Faisalabad, with stories of many wounded.

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The violence lasted for greater than 20 hours outdoors Khan’s residence, with Pakistani information channels displaying police firing tear fuel shells and utilizing water cannons to disperse the social gathering employees, who responded by throwing stones.

Police lastly pulled again within the late afternoon citing the necessity oversee a serious cricket match within the night, adopted by an order from the Lahore Supreme Court docket suspending the operation till Thursday morning.

The previous prime minister got here out of his home early Wednesday morning to fulfill his supporters. He referred to as the assault a “brutal and illegal crackdown.”

He addressed the nation by way of a video hyperlink with a pile of spent tear fuel shells on his desk. “It’s not simply shells, however bullets too are being fired at my residence,” he mentioned. “I used to be able to go to jail, and my baggage have been packed, however my employees stopped me as a result of they knew that ever since we have been ousted, our leaders have been subjected to custodial torture. My employees feared the identical for me.”

Khan was ousted from energy by way of a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in April. Since then, he has been holding huge rallies to stress the federal government for brand spanking new elections. He has additionally been dealing with dozens of authorized circumstances, together with expenses of terrorism and accusations of graft and threatening a feminine decide.

Khan mentioned he was able to journey to Islamabad this coming Saturday as required by the arrest warrant, however police refused his provide.

Data Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, in an announcement shared with media shops, mentioned, “Imran Khan is breaking the legislation, defying the court docket orders and utilizing his employees, girls and youngsters as human shields.”

Earlier than the assault on Khan’s house was referred to as off, a spokesman for the Islamabad police, which was main the operation, Taqi Jawwad, mentioned 5 members of his power, together with a senior official, have been injured by the protesters’ stones.

Geo Information, an area channel, quoted Lahore police saying that about 25 officers have been injured. Dozens of Khan’s supporters have been reported injured by his social gathering.

By late afternoon, police appeared to tug again from Khan’s residence, and one official mentioned authorities had suspended their operation for now, talking on the situation of anonymity as a result of he was not approved to speak to the media.

He cited the necessity to guarantee safety for the Pakistan Tremendous League cricket match in Lahore that night however mentioned the operation might subsequently resume.

Pakistan bans Imran Khan from politics, sparking unrest

The arrest warrant was issued when Khan failed to look earlier than a decide Friday in Islamabad, the place he’s dealing with expenses of illegally promoting presents that he obtained from international dignitaries throughout his time period as prime minister.

He has been avoiding court docket appearances since November, when he was wounded in a capturing at a protest march within the nation’s most populous province, Punjab. He mentioned that he was nonetheless not medically match for the lengthy travels.

Khan’s attorneys are additionally looking for suspension of the arrest warrant by the Islamabad excessive court docket.