The attempted arrest of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been temporarily suspended after police confrontations with Khan’s supporters. A court in Lahore today ordered the security forces to cease operations until tomorrow, an employee of Khan said. Local media reported that police retreated from the politician’s compound and lifted roadblocks.
Security forces had surrounded Khan’s house in the city of Lahore to enforce an arrest warrant against him. There were clashes with supporters of the ex-prime minister, in which more than 100 police officers and several demonstrators were injured, according to the police and hospitals. The protesters threw stones, the security forces used water cannon and tear gas. It was the third attempt in recent weeks to arrest him.
In April 2022, a vote of no confidence ousted Khan as prime minister after nearly four years in office. The opposition accused him, among other things, of mismanagement in the economy. Since his ouster, the Pakistani judiciary has brought new allegations against Khan. He now has to answer in court in more than 80 cases – including corruption, money laundering and insulting a judge. The 70-year-old repeatedly ignored requests to appear in court. He justified this by saying that there were threats against him.
