Police in Pakistan’s Punjab province have arrested 3,000 people, including women, following violent clashes between supporters of Imran Khan and security agencies. The clashes occurred after the former prime minister’s arrest earlier this week in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. Khan, who is the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) issued an arrest warrant against him.
The clashes resulted in a volatile law and order situation in Punjab province. However, on Friday, the situation was brought under control after Khan was granted protective bail. The PTI chief’s arrest had caused uproar amongst his supporters who took to the streets in protest. The situation turned violent when clashes erupted between the supporters and security agencies.
During the clashes, the police arrested thousands of people, including women. The arrests were made to quell the violence and restore law and order in the province. However, the arrests have been criticized by human rights organizations for the excessive use of force and violation of fundamental rights.
Khan’s arrest was a significant blow to his political career. He had been a fierce critic of corruption in the country and had promised to eradicate it if elected to power. However, his critics claim that he has failed to deliver on his promises and that his own party members have been involved in corrupt practices.
The Al-Qadir Trust case is one of many corruption cases that Khan is currently facing. The case relates to the alleged illegal transfer of funds to the trust, which was set up by Khan’s close aide, Jahangir Tareen. Khan has denied any wrongdoing and has accused the government of using the case to target him and his party.
The arrest of Khan has also raised concerns about the state of democracy in Pakistan. Many of Khan’s supporters believe that his arrest is part of a wider crackdown on opposition politicians and that the government is trying to silence dissent.
