LAHORE: Police in Pakistan arrested more than 240 opposition party activists on Tuesday at protests calling for the release of their leader Imran Khan on the second anniversary of his jailing, security officials and police said.
At least 122 were arrested trying to block roads and threatening law and order in the eastern city of Lahore, capital of Punjab province, said Deputy Inspector General of police Faisal Kamran. The remainder were picked up in overnight raids in the province, two security officials said.
Thousands rallied in support of Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is ruled by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, officials said. Police fired teargas in the cities of Karachi and Muzaffarabad.
“Free Imran Khan!” chanted supporters outside a Lahore courthouse, while smaller groups staged protests across the city.
Party spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari said over 200 activists were detained in Lahore alone.
“Down with the government!” shouted a group of PTI women supporters rallying in Quetta, while nearly 2,000 activists in Karachi held demonstrations on bikes, rickshaws, and other vehicles, carrying posters of Khan and party flags before police dispersed them by firing teargas.
Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi remained quiet, with heavy police deployments on main roads.
Uzma Bukhari, a spokesperson for Punjab’s provincial government, said the PTI cannot be allowed to create chaos by holding the protests, a charge the party’s spokesperson denied.
KHAN CALLS ON SUPPORTERS
In a message attributed to Khan on his party’s X account on Monday, he urged supporters to “come out and hold peaceful protests until a true democracy is restored.”
The former cricket star was elected prime minister in 2018 but once in office, he fell out with the powerful military and was ousted in 2022 by parliament.
His arrest in May 2023 sparked protests against the military nationwide, leading to a crackdown on the party.
Khan denies any wrongdoing and has dismissed as politically motivated the dozens of cases against him, ranging from terrorism to disclosure of official secrets. He was convicted in January in a corruption case, but was acquitted of other charges or received suspended sentences.
Hundreds of Khan’s party members including several parliamentarians were convicted late last month on charges related to the 2023 protests against his arrest. By law, nine of the parliamentarians were disqualified on Tuesday, the Election Commission of Pakistan said.
Khan’s party emerged as the single biggest in the 2024 election, and it says that vote rigging robbed it of more seats.
Other parties joined forces to form a government under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who denies coming to power through electoral fraud.
