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re: Former Pakistan PM & Cricketer Sentenced to 10 Yrs For Leaking State Secrets
More Violence in Pakistan as Imran Khan Appears in Court
Mass Protests Across Pakistan After Ex-PM Arrest
BBC News 11 MAY 2023
Hundreds of people have been arrested and at least six have been killed after the former cricket star and prime minister was arrested yesterday.
Today, he appeared in a makeshift court in a police compound where he was remanded in custody for a further eight days on corruption charges.
'Chaos and Anarchy'
Mr Khan was ousted as PM in April last year and has been campaigning for early elections since then.
General elections are due to be held later this year.
Speaking to the BBC's Newshour, Mr Khan's spokesman, Raoof Hasan, said he expected "the worst" and that the arrest could plunge the country "into chaos and anarchy".
"We're facing multiple crises. There is an economic crisis, there is a political crisis, there is a cost of livelihood crisis and consequently this occasion will be a catharsis for them to step out and I fear a fair amount of violence is going to be back," he said.
A member of Mr Khan's legal team, Raja Mateen, said undue force had been used against him at the court.
"Mr Khan went into the biometric office for the biometrics. The rangers went there, they broke the windows, they hit Mr Khan on the head with a baton," said Mr Mateen.
Mr Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party called on its supporters to protest. In the hours after he was detained, violence was reported from cities including Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar.
On the streets of Islamabad, hundreds of protesters blocked one of the main highways in and out of the capital.
People pulled down street signs and parts of overpasses, lit fires and threw stones. During the hour or so that the BBC was there, no police or authorities were visible.
Protesters have blocked roads in protest in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city
Protesters said they were angry about Imran Khan's arrest.
"This is absolutely the last straw," said Farida Roedad.
"Let there be anarchy, let there be chaos. If there is no Imran, there's nothing left in Pakistan. No one is there to take over."
Writing on social media, police in Islamabad said five police officers had been injured and 43 protesters arrested.
It said at least 10 people, including six police officers, had been injured in the south-western city of Quetta in clashes between Mr Khan's supporters and security forces - with one protester killed.
Police use a water cannon during clashes with supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan at a protest against his arrest, in Lahore, Pakistan, 09 May 2023.Image source, EPA
A statement from the inspector general of Punjab police said the arrest of Mr Khan had been ordered because he was accused of "corruption and corrupt practices".
The case involves allegations over the allotment of land in the so-called Al-Qadir Trust, which is owned by Mr Khan and his wife, Dawn newspaper reported.
Mr Khan, who is being held at an undisclosed location, denies breaking any law.
In a video message filmed as he travelled to Islamabad - and released by the PTI before his arrest - Mr Khan said he was ready for what lay ahead.
"Come to me with warrants, my lawyers will be there," he said. "If you want to send me to jail, I am prepared for it."
Imran Khan has been the main opposition leader since being ousted by his opponents in parliament a year ago
Security was tight in the centre of the capital for the former PM's court appearance.
Dozens of cases have been brought against Mr Khan since he was ousted from power.
The security forces have tried to detain him on a number of previous occasions at his Lahore residence, but were blocked by his supporters, resulting in fierce clashes.
On Tuesday, police had blocked roads into Islamabad, so the number of supporters with Imran Khan was not as high as on previous occasions, making it easier to arrest him.
He was elected prime minister in 2018, but fell out with Pakistan's powerful army. After a series of defections, he lost his majority in parliament. He was ousted after he lost a confidence vote in April 2022, four years into his tenure.
Since then, he has been a vocal critic of the government and the country's army.
In October, he was disqualified from holding public office, accused of incorrectly declaring details of presents from foreign dignitaries and proceeds from their alleged sale.
The next month, he survived a gun attack on his convoy while holding a protest march.
On Monday, the military warned him against making "baseless allegations" after he again accused a senior officer of plotting to kill him.
Why The Pakistan Unrest Matters
Why is unrest in Pakistan raising major concerns? Sky's Cordelia Lynch explains
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