Protests in Pakistan claim 9 lives
Protests Erupt in Pakistan Following Arrest of PTI Leader on Corruption Charges
Many cities in Pakistan continue to witness protests as supporters of the Pakistani Justice Movement Party (PTI) leader, Imran Khan, took to the streets to demand his release. Khan was arrested on corruption charges last month, causing public uproar across the country. The demonstrations have turned violent, with reports of at least nine people dead and more than 290 injured since the protests began on May 9.
According to reports, seven people died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and one person each in Balochistan and Punjab died during the demonstrations. Moreover, more than 1,900 party supporters, including senior PTI politicians, were detained for participating in the protests.
In Tarnol, protesters damaged train tracks, and police properties were damaged in Islamabad and Lahore, as well as a border fort belonging to paramilitary units in Lower Dir. The demonstrations have also resulted in more than 200 police officers injured across the country, and many police vehicles were damaged.
After the federal government called on the army to provide security, armed forces personnel started to work at various points in the capital, Islamabad. The government claimed that Khan and his wife bought billions of rupees’ worth of land from Pakistan’s major real estate tycoon Malik Riaz to build an educational institute. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) states that the PTI government’s deal with Riaz caused more than $239 million in losses to the national treasury, leading to Khan’s arrest.
In December 2019, Riaz agreed to hand over assets, including $239 million worth of properties, to the UK’s National Crime Agency as part of an investigation into “dirty money.” Pakistani Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah, reported that British authorities returned $239 million to Pakistan in connection with money laundering, but Khan allegedly gave the money to Riaz instead of keeping it in the national treasury.
The arrest warrant for Han was issued by the NAB. The development came after Khan accused a senior intelligence official of being behind his assassination. Pakistani military officials described Khan’s allegations as “irresponsible and unfounded.” Khan started a march from Lahore to Islamabad on October 28, 2022, on the grounds that the coalition government did not declare early elections.
In Pakistan’s parliamentary vote of no confidence on April 10, 2022, Imran Khan’s government had fallen with 174 “no” votes. Shahbaz Sharif, brother of Nawaz Sharif, who served as prime minister for three terms in the country, was elected prime minister with the support of the absolute majority with 174 votes in the election held in the Parliament on April 11, 2022.
