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The former Pakistani prime minister appeared before a special court in the capital Islamabad on Wednesday on corruption charges, the day after his unexpected arrest, which has sparked violent protests across the country.
With Sonia Ghezali, RFI correspondent in Islamabad
Supporters of Imran Khan accuse the government and the army of wanting to expel the former prime minister from the political scene so that he cannot stand in the upcoming elections, scheduled for the next few months. For its part, the government denies this accusation. There is no political revenge against Imran Khan, assured a minister at a press conference. “No one is above the law in Pakistan,” he added.
Since Tuesday, the situation is very tense in Pakistan. Violent demonstrations broke out in several cities of the country and since Wednesday incidents have been recorded in several cities. The army has been called as a reinforcement in the provinces of Punjab and Jaiber Pastunjuá. These two provinces are experiencing unprecedented tensions.
“I feared for my life”
A police station was ransacked in Lahore and riots broke out in the city. According to police, nearly 1,000 protesters have been detained in Punjab, the country’s most populous province, and 130 law enforcement officers have been injured. In Peshawar, in the north of the country, demonstrations turned into clashes between demonstrators and police. At least one protester was killed and a dozen were injured.
Protesters also tried to break into a paramilitary camp. Others vandalized and burned down the local offices of the national radio station. A journalist who was at the scene told RFI that he fled when he saw protesters invade the facility. “I feared for my life,” he declared.
Like Tuesday, law enforcement sometimes responds by firing live ammunition into crowds of protesters. There are several reports of casualties among Imran Khan’s supporters, but exact information is hard to come by at the moment. Schools are closed, several companies and international organizations have asked their employees to work from home.
Khan’s arrest came after months of political crisis and after the former ruler accused the military – which wields great power in the country – of having been involved in a plot to assassinate him.
Police clashed with supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI, Pakistani Justice Party) party throughout Tuesday night in cities across the country.
