On Wednesday, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested by police in the eastern city of Lahore, according to a court order.
Clashes between supporters of Khan and law enforcement officers have been reported in Lahore and several other cities across the country since Tuesday, following the arrival of police officers to arrest the former Prime Minister.
Khan’s arrest was ordered by a court in a case involving his selling state gifts given to foreign leaders while he was prime minister.
Pakistan’s election commission also found him guilty, and a criminal investigation is now underway.
Khan, on the other hand, maintains that he broke no laws and sold the items legally.
According to police, Khan was arrested after failing to appear in court despite repeated summons, according to Reuters.
Khan and his aides cited security concerns as the reason for his absence.
Last year, he was injured in an attack on a protest gathering.
Khan also claimed that the cases brought against him are politically motivated.
Since he was deposed by a parliamentary vote in April 2022, less than four years into his five-year term, 76 cases have been filed against him.
He has previously appeared in court for other matters.
If convicted, Khan faces a lifetime ban from holding public office, a setback for the cricketer-turned-politician with a national election scheduled for November.
If he is arrested, Khan’s party has vowed to intensify protests, which analysts say will exacerbate the difficulties faced by a government already beleaguered by an economic crisis that has brought the nuclear-armed country to the brink of default.
