Imran Khan arrest: Army headquarters attacked, PTI calls for countrywide shutdown in Pak

International

oi-Prakash KL

A day after storming the Pakistan Army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore, the supporters of Imran Khan have called for a countrywide shutdown.

The former Pakistan Prime Minister was 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.

He was arrested in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case. 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.

On the other hand, his party announced a countrywide strike on Wednesday to protest against the government. They also appealed to the nation to come out onto the streets against the “rising fascism” telling supporters that a “make or break moment” has approached, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Imran Khan arrested: Protests break out in Pakistan, internet service suspended

The court later ruled that the arrest of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chief was legal but the way it was carried out was illegal and decided to proceed against the Islamabad police chief and interior secretary.

They paid no heed to the imposition of Section 144 that outlawed gatherings in Punjab, Balochistan and major places in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Some of the worst incidents of violence and vandalism were reported from Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Karachi and Rawalpindi.

Imran Khan is likely to remain in the custody of the country’s anti-graft agency for “four to five days” and is expected to be presented before an accountability court.

Meanwhile, his party is set to challenge the Islamabad High Court’s verdict of terming Imran Khan’s as “legal” in the Supreme Court, according to a report in ARY News.

With inputs from PTI.