Pakistan on the boil after Imran's arrest, supporters storm Army headquarters Lahore/Islamabad: In unprecedented scenes, supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday stormed the Pakistan Army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and the Corps Commander's residence in Lahore after his dramatic arrest in a corruption case. Khan, who travelled from Lahore to the federal capital Islamabad, was undergoing a biometric process at the Islamabad High Court when the paramilitary Rangers broke open the glass window and arrested him after beating lawyers and Khan's security staff.
Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan block an entry gate of the Pakistani army's headquarters during a protest protest against the arrest of their leader, in Rawalpindi Khan was dragged from court as he appeared to face charges in multiple graft cases, a dramatic escalation of political tensions that sparked violent demonstrations by his angry supporters in almost all of the country's major cities. The arrest of the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman comes a day after the powerful army accused him of levelling baseless allegations against a senior officer of the spy agency ISI. As the news of his arrest by the Rangers spread, massive protests broke out in several cities across Pakistan. Protesters at several places turned violent and burned police vehicles and damaged public property.
Police fire tear gas to disperse supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan protesting against the arrest of their leader, in Peshawar The Rangers, which operate under the Interior Ministry, are usually commanded by officers on secondment from the army. For the first time, Khan's supporters smashed the main gate of the army's sprawling headquarters in Rawalpindi, where troops exercised restraint. The protesters chanted slogans against the establishment.
Also read: Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan arrested outside Islamabad High Court
In Lahore, a large number of PTI workers stormed into the Corps Commander Lahore residence and smashed the gate and window-panes. The army personnel present on duty there, however, did not try to stop the enraged protesters who surrounded them and chanted slogans against the handlers' of the PML-N led government in the military establishment. The protesters held a demonstration in the Cantonment area.
Police officers and supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan exchange stones during a protest against the arrest of Khan, in Karachi Lahore was virtually cut off from the rest of the province because of the protest on main roads including the entry and exit points. The caretaker Punjab government called the Rangers to control the law-and-order situation in the most populous province and imposed section 144 under which not more than five people can gather at one point. According to the Home Department, the ban on gatherings will remain in place for two days.
The Punjab government also requested the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to suspend Internet and mobile services in the areas of the province where violent protests took place. A large number of PTI workers also pelted stones at the residence of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah in Faisalabad city. Similarly, protests were held in Multan, Jhang, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Khanewal, Vehari, Gujranwala, Hafizabad and Gujrat cities. (Agency inputs)
