Pakistan Political Chaos: Amid the chaotic situation in Pakistan, a court ruled that former Prime Minister Imran Khan can be kept in the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) custody for up to eight days.
It came a day after the popular opposition leader was dragged from a courtroom and arrested on corruption charges, deepening the country’s political turmoil.
Khan’s arrest on Tuesday triggered violent clashes between his supporters and police in several cities, including Islamabad, that left at least six people dead, and his continued detention raises the prospect of more unrest.
PM Shehbaz says Khan’s arrest was not part of a vendetta
After the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif addressed the nation at around 10 am, where he condemned the attacks on public property and military installations. In addition, he approved the deployment of troops to the capital of Islamabad, the country’s most populous province Punjab and the restive northwest.
During his televised address, Sharif said his predecessor should take a lesson from his brother and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was implicated in “false” cases when Imran was in power.
Sharif said, “Nawaz was also arrested by NAB on false charges of corruption, but he did not instigate the violence.” He said, “Instead, he faced trials and came out innocent. You should also face trials.”
Khan accused of corruption
Amid tight security, Khan appeared before a judge on Wednesday at a makeshift court in the police compound. Pakistan’s GEO Television aired a video showing him sitting on a chair, holding a document. He appeared calm but tired.
In the new charges, Khan was accused of accepting millions of dollars worth of property in exchange for providing benefits to a real estate tycoon. The National Accountability Bureau asked to keep him in custody for 14 days, but the tribunal granted eight days.
Khan’s legal team has challenged the arrest in a court in Islamabad and is considering doing the same in the country’s Supreme Court.
Khan was indicted on Wednesday in the original corruption case, for which he appeared in an Islamabad court on Tuesday, pleading not guilty. In that case, he faced multiple corruption charges brought by the Islamabad police.
As he showed up, the courtroom was stormed by dozens of Accountability Bureau agents, backed by paramilitary forces, after Khan’s guards refused to open the door.
massive protest across pakistan
In the latest unrest, thousands of protesters stormed a radio station and government agency offices in the northwestern city of Peshawar. According to the police, some employees were trapped inside. In addition, mobs angered by the dramatic arrest set fire to the residence of a top army general in the eastern city of Lahore, and supporters attacked army headquarters in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad.
They did not reach the main building housing the office of Army Chief General Asim Munir.
The protesters also tried to reach the prime minister’s residence in Lahore, but were repulsed by the police with batons. Still, others attacked the vehicles carrying the soldiers, hitting the armed soldiers with sticks. Till now the police and jawans have not fired on the protesters.
Army deployed in Punjab and Islamabad
In eastern Punjab province, the local government asked the military to intervene after officials said 157 policemen were injured in clashes with protesters. Apart from this, the army was also deployed in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The government said the deployment came in the backdrop of violent protests and said they would take strong action.
Army warns protesters
The Army came out with a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, vowing to take stern action against those trying to push Pakistan towards a “civil war”. It called the organized attacks on its installations a “dark chapter” in the country’s political history. Police have arrested 945 Khan supporters in East Punjab province alone since Tuesday – including two senior leaders of Khan’s party, Asad Umar and Sarfaraz Cheema.
internet school closed
Amid the violence, Pakistan’s Telecom Authority blocked social media, including Twitter. The government has also suspended internet service in Islamabad and other cities. Classes in some private schools were canceled on Wednesday and several social media sites were suspended.
Amnesty International said it was concerned by reports of authorities blocking access to internet networks and social media. It urged authorities to show restraint, saying that clashes between law enforcement and Khan’s supporters risk human rights violations.
As the violence spread, many people stayed at home. The US Embassy in Islamabad canceled all of its Wednesday consular appointments following Khan’s arrest and issued a nationwide alert, asking Americans to review their personal security plans and avoid large gatherings.
(with inputs from AP)