The police stormed the home of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Pakistani metropolis of Lahore today in search of weapons. Supporters of the politician and former cricket star, who was deposed in 2022, shot at the officers from the roof, the police said. Khan was not in the house at the time, but on his way to the capital, Islamabad, for a court hearing.
Dozens of supporters arrested
At least 65 Khan supporters have been arrested, Punjab provincial police chief Usman Anwar said. Police had a search warrant from a local court after reports of guns in the house, said Punjab provincial information minister Amir Mir. The 70-year-old Khan had previously holed himself up in the house for about a week to avoid arrest. There were clashes between the police, who wanted to enforce an arrest warrant, and supporters of the ex-prime minister.
Always new allegations
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. He repeatedly ignored requests to appear in court. He justified this by saying that there were threats against him.
In April 2022, a vote of no confidence ousted Khan as prime minister after nearly four years in office. The opposition accused him of mismanagement in the economy. In recent months, Khan has repeatedly called for mass protests and new elections in the country. He was shot in the leg by an assassin during a demonstration in November.
