Convoys of buses and vehicles filled with government supporters yesterday flooded the main road leading to Islamabad to protest the release of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan.
Thousands made their way to the Supreme Court for a rare sit-in against its decision to give Khan, now opposition leader, an “undue reprieve” following his arrest in a graft case. Khan, 70, was released on bail and given protection from arrest until later this month.
The call to protest was a sign of escalating tensions between the judiciary and the government of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan after his ouster in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April last year.
Photo: AFP
Pakistan Democratic Movement, an alliance of 13 political parties affiliated with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, had called for the sit-in. The radical Islamist political party Jamiat-e-Ulema-Islam is leading the protest call.
Pakistan People’s Party, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari — the son of assassinated prime minister Benazir Bhutto — also joined the alliance’s protest.
The call to protest came, despite a ban on rallies and public gatherings that the government imposed in the wake of the crisis.
“Our peaceful protest is against Chief Justice [Umar Ata Bandial] for facilitating the release of Imran Khan,” Pakistan Democratic Alliance head Fazalur Rehman said.
As he spoke, more than 3,000 supporters had already gathered near the sprawling court building.
In a televised statement, Pakistani Minister of Defence Khawaja Mohammad Asif accused the Supreme Court of siding with Khan. He suggested the court “examine the conduct of the chief justice” and take legal action against him.
From his home in the eastern city of Lahore, where he returned to following his release, Khan yesterday wrote on Twitter that the sit-in was being orchestrated to remove the chief justice.
Khan was dramatically arrested from a courtroom in Islamabad and dragged out by agents of the National Accountability Bureau on Tuesday last week on charges of accepting millions of dollars of property in exchange for providing benefits to a real-estate tycoon.
Khan’s arrest triggered a wave of violent protests across Pakistan. Supporters of Khan and his Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf party clashed with police, set fire to scores of police vehicles and burned down government buildings and even military facilities, including the residence of a top regional army commander in the eastern city of Lahore.
Khan was expected to appear in court in Lahore later yesterday, along with his wife, Bushra Bibi, to seek bail and protection from arrest in terrorism cases filed against him because of last week’s violence instigated by his supporters.
Bibi also faces possible arrest in the case related to Malik Riaz, the business tycoon, as both she and Khan are implicated in real-estate acquisition from the magnate during Khan’s term in office. Khan has denied the allegations.
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