The raids in Islamabad come after main protests within the capital calling for Khan’s launch from jail.
Police in Pakistan have arrested a number of lawmakers and leaders from former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s occasion in a sequence of raids in Islamabad, in line with occasion officers and authorities.
A police spokesperson stated on Tuesday 4 folks had been arrested, nonetheless, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) put the quantity at 13, saying they had been picked up from numerous areas within the capital, Islamabad, together with some from exterior parliament.
The raids observe a big PTI rally on Sunday to demand the 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician’s launch from jail, the place he has been for greater than a 12 months.
The crackdown began late on Monday, with PTI president Gohar Khan taken into custody.
Khan was eliminated as prime minister in 2022 after a falling-out with army generals, who principally resolve who will rule the nation of 241 million.
Media footage confirmed police pushing the lawmakers into automobiles in detentions exterior parliament that Omar Ayub Khan, the chief of the opposition, referred to as “despicable”.
“Yesterday’s large protest has despatched shivers down the federal government’s backbone,” Khan’s aide, Zulfikar Bukhari, stated in a put up on X, calling the detentions unlawful.
Others held had been senior leaders Shoaib Shaheen and Sher Afzal Marwat, added Bukhari, who can be a PTI spokesman.
In February, candidates backed by the PTI gained essentially the most seats in a common election. Nonetheless, they fell in need of the bulk required to kind a authorities.
His rivals cobbled collectively a coalition as a substitute to arrange a ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Requires Khan’s launch
The rally to demand Khan’s launch was marred by clashes between supporters and police that injured a senior police official, the police stated.
The PTI stated the violence erupted after the police lobbed tear gasoline canisters at a peaceable meeting in a bid to disperse it.
Some occasion leaders, comparable to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, criticised the ruling alliance and the army speeches on the rally.
“Put your own home so as,” he suggested the military, warning towards any try at a army trial for Khan. “I’m not terrified of the military uniform.”
Data Minister Attaullah Tarar stated Gandapur had threatened to free Khan from jail by drive and incited his supporters to have interaction in violence.
In an announcement on X, PTI stated Khan thanked his supporters for peacefully holding the rally and quoted him as saying: “You’ve gotten all damaged the shackles of worry to face up & struggle.”