PAKISTAN CHAOS: Dozens of Paramilitary Troops Invade High Court To Arrest Former PM Imran Khan
Massive Protests and Confrontations Are Underway
Imran Khan, ousted as Pakistan's Prime Minister in April 2022, was arrested today while appearing in court on charges of corruption - charges that Khan insists are politically motivated.
His ousting came right after the PM decided NOT to support the Ukraine war coalition, leading many to see in his fall another color revolution conducted by Washington goons.
"Footage showed dozens of paramilitary forces in armoured vehicles detaining Mr Khan after he entered the court compound, then driving him away.
[…] Mr Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has called on its supporters to protest. In the hours since he was detained, violence has been reported from a number of cities including Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar.
On the streets of Islamabad, hundreds of protesters blocked one of the main highways in and out of the capital."
The inspector-general of Punjab police said that the arrest of Khan was because of accusations of 'corruption and corrupt practices'.
Protests instantly broke out in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and many other Pakistani cities. Khan's supporters blocked roads and ports, lit fires and threw stones.
"'This is absolutely the last straw,' said Farida Roedad. […] 'Let there be anarchy, let there be chaos. If there is no Imran, there's nothing left in Pakistan. No one is there to take over'."
Watch it here.
Khan has been campaigning for early elections since he was deposed, and as General elections are due to be held later this year, the political tensions have escalated, with the former PM having survived a gun attack on his convoy, while holding a protest march.
Yesterday, the military warned him against making 'baseless allegations' after he again accused a senior officer of plotting to kill him.
And today, police blocked roads into Islamabad, so the number of supporters with him was not as high as on previous occasions, making it easier to arrest him.
Internet is down in all big cities, to make it more difficult for protesters to articulate and to keep media coverage from reaching the population.
In Lahore, crowds broke into the military corps commander's house, destroying furniture and belongings inside - (video)
"In a video message filmed as he travelled to Islamabad - and released by the PTI before his arrest - Mr Khan said he was ready for what lay ahead.
'Come to me with warrants, my lawyers will be there," he said. "If you want to send me to jail, I am prepared for it'."