Police in Pakistan have arrested dozens of supporters and aides of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in raids in towns as a part of a crackdown on the ones worried in latest clashes with the safety forces, Mr Khan`s birthday birthday celebration and police stated on Monday.
Supporters of Mr Khan’s birthday birthday celebration, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), clashed with police withinside the metropolis of Lahore closing week as they tried to arrest him at his home, and later with police in Islamabad as he arrived to seem earlier than a courtroom docket on Saturday.
“Around 285 PTI supporters were arrested in Lahore and Islamabad. Houses of all essential leaders have been raided with the aid of using police closing night,” Mr Khan’s aide, Fawad Chaudhry, advised Reuters.
Mr Khan, a former cricket star, changed into top minister from 2018 till 2022, whilst he changed into ousted from workplace in a parliamentary vote. Since then he has been disturbing a snap election and preserving protest rallies throughout the u . s . to press his case.
His successor as top minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has rejected his call for and stated an election could be held as scheduled later this year.
Mr Khan, 70, is going through numerous felony instances, which includes one which brought on a failed try to arrest him on Tuesday after a courtroom docket issued warrants for his arrest for now no longer acting earlier than it.
Clashes among Mr Khan’s supporters and the safety forces have introduced a brand new spherical of political chaos to Pakistan, that is withinside the midst of a crippling financial crisis.
Mr Khan says the authorities and the effective navy are looking to forestall him from contesting the subsequent election, scheduled for November. If convicted in a case, Mr Khan should face disqualification from the polls.
Both the authorities and navy deny this.
Police in each Lahore and Islamabad showed the raids and the arrest of PTI employees they stated have been worried in clashes with police and arson.
“Police are raiding the homes due to the fact seven instances on diverse charges, which includes terrorism, were registered towards the leaders and employees,” Lahore police leader Bilal Kamiana advised Reuters regarding the clashes with police.
He stated one hundred twenty five activists have been arrested in Lahore, which includes a few closing week.
In Islamabad, a police spokesman 198 PTI supporters have been arrested in reference to arson and assaults on police wherein fifty eight humans have been injured and greater than a dozen vehicles, which includes a few police cars, have been set ablaze.
More raids have been being carried out, the spokesman stated.
He stated police had additionally long gone to the house of a sitting PTI senator, Shibli Faraz, with a seek warrant, however the senator changed into now no longer home.
Mr Khan, remembered with the aid of using many for his fulfillment as a cricket participant and later for his charity work, received significant assist amongst sections of the voters together along with his conservative, nationalistic policies.