Dozens of supporters of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan gathered in Lahore on Saturday to condemn his arrest, after a court sentenced him to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts.
Some protesters say Khan was not given a fair trial. Others criticized police for preventing them from carrying out what they say were peaceful protests outside Khan’s residence, where a few demonstrators were arrested.
“This (arrest of Khan) looks like it was planned. This cannot end well. This should have been done in a proper way. He was the only one arrested. What about the other ‘angel’ politicians? They have done a lot of things. He (Khan) was arrested for taking just one thing from Toshakhana, the others have taken cars and a lot of things, and they are free,” said Mohammad Akber, a local resident.
Meanwhile, several protesters have been arrested in Peshawar city during a protest against his arrest.
Khan’s arrest on Saturday could potentially bar him from contesting an upcoming election.
His party called for peaceful protests against the decision, but there was only a limited public response on Saturday evening, compared to the violence that roiled the country when Khan was briefly arrested in May.
“So, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been arrested illegally once again. It’s a shame on the judiciary, and it’s a shame on Pakistan today, as it’s a dark and sad day that Imran Khan’s legal team wasn’t even allowed to present his arguments. Today wasn’t a day of any decisions to be taken or verdict to be given by a court, yet it did. Funny enough, it was the last day of this judge before he went on his holiday leave,” said Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari, PTI’s Spokesman.
Security meanwhile was also tight in Karachi, the biggest city in Pakistan.
