Pakistan On Fire As Civilians Battle Military Over Ex PM Arrest

Protest in Pakistan has continued overnight as large crowd of civilians battled with military and other security personnel over the arrest of the former Prime Minister of the Country, Imran Khan.

Protesters ransack several army buildings, torch police vehicles just as mobile internet has been reportedly suspended. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are likely restricted in the country, according to residents.

Governor house in Lahore was set on fire from videos posted online by the protesters.

As at the time of filing in this report, sound of heavy gun firing could be heard across several places in Pakistan as the civilians continued with the protest at night.

Another video posted online showed Radio Pakistan’s complex set ablaze as the protest intensify across the country.

Two Army vehicles were burnt on Aziz Bhatti Road, at the intersection of Shabbir Shaheed Road in Lahore, according to video footages posted online.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah has said that, Imran Khan was arrested for damaging the country’s state depository, in reference to the corruption charges against the former Pakistan Prime minister.

The former Prime minister, Imran Khan, the leader of the largest national political party in the country was arrested on Tuesday by Pakistan authorities, outside a court in the capital, Islamabad.

The 70-year-old politician was taken into custody while moving towards a high court room to attend a hearing on the dozens of cases against him ranging from alleged terrorism, and corruption, to treason and other criminal offenses.

Khan’s attorneys claimed that paramilitary forces, physically assaulted the former Prime minister before taking him into custody and handing him over to anti-graft authorities accompanying them.

Imran Khan supporters immediately took to the streets in Islamabad and other parts of the country to protest the arrest. Police in Islamabad dispersed protesters and detained dozens of them in the process.

Video of the arrest shared by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, PTI, party showed security forces in riot-control gear whisking the 70-year-old former Prime minister away in a van.

It would be recalled that since the removal Imran Khan from power last year, Khan has been slammed with dozens of charges, which he denies and says are politically motivated.

“Imran Khan has been arrested in the Qadir Trust case,” the Islamabad police said on its official Twitter account, referring to a corruption case