Political tension soars in Pakistan as ex-Premier Khan’s supporters rally to prevent his arrest
ISLAMABAD (AA) – Hundreds of supporters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan reached his residence in Bani Gala near the capital Islamabad after authorities registered a case against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Meanwhile, Islamabad High Court has granted pre-arrest bail to Khan till August 25 and ordered him to appear before the anti-terrorism court in three days.
The situation remained tense in the capital after Khan’s close aide and former Federal Minister Murad Saeed tweeted an unconfirmed report last night that the government had issued orders to arrest the former premier, urging the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s supporters to come out of their homes to protect Khan.
Soon after his tweet, hundreds of people along with their families gathered outside Imran Khan’s residence and blocked all entrances.
According to Islamabad police, they registered a case against Khan for “terrorizing and threatening” police officers and a female judge at a rally in Islamabad on August 20.
The cricketer-turned-politician had said he will take action against the officials for the alleged torturing of Shahbaz Gill, his close aide and chief of staff, in police custody. Gill faces sedition charges for remarks that allegedly aimed to incite mutiny within Pakistan’s powerful military.
Former Federal Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also warned that they will take over Islamabad if the police arrested Khan.
“If Imran Khan is arrested by this ‘imported government’ we will take over Islamabad and my message to police is that don’t be part of this political war anymore,” he tweeted.
Earlier on Sunday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had hinted over the fact that the government was mulling over the ex-premier’s arrest.
Khan has staged a series of popular anti-government protests making inflammatory speeches targeting the regime and the armed forces, alleging that there was a ‘foreign conspiracy’ behind his ouster from power in a no-confidence vote in April.
As he addressed a rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Sunday, many users in Pakistan complained of disruption in YouTube service, where the speech was being live-streamed.
NetBlocks, an organization that tracks internet outages, confirmed the development.
Khan called the “temporary blocking” a “new low” and “gross violation of freedom of speech.”
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