“Riots in Pakistan: Imran Khan’s Arrest and Escalating Protests”

Jakarta –

Riots broke out in Pakistan. The incident occurred in the aftermath of the arrest of former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan who was protested by his supporters.

Reported AFP news agency, Thursday (11/5/2023), Khan was detained for eight days on corruption charges on Wednesday, the culmination of a rare campaign of defiance against the powerful military.

Khan’s arrest angered supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, who clashed with security forces in several towns and marched towards military headquarters.

Soldiers Deployed

Military forces were deployed in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Thursday after Khan’s arrest sparked two days of violent protests by his supporters. Khan’s supporters accuse the military of orchestrating Khan’s ouster in April last year. The military has denied involvement.

“If they think that the arrest of Imran Khan will weaken our morale, then they are wrong,” said protester Niaz Ali in the city of Peshawar, where several monuments and government buildings were torched.

“We support Imran Khan and will support him to death,” he added.

At least seven officials from the central leadership of PTI have been arrested and detained for allegedly masterminding the protests, Islamabad police said on Thursday (11/5) morning local time.

Pakistan’s government on Wednesday approved the deployment of troops in two provinces — including Punjab, the most populous — and in the capital to restore calm.

Islamabad police said troops had entered the capital’s sensitive “red zone” where government buildings are located.

Security forces fired tear gas to disperse PTI supporters in several cities, including the major port city of Karachi.

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(fas/dwia)