Top politicians from Imran Khan’s party arrested after clashes in Pakistan

Police fire tear gas shells and baton-charge protesters as clashes break out during massive rally

Top politicians from Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were arrested from outside parliament, a day after the party issued a two-week ultimatum for the release of the jailed former prime minister.

Tens of thousands of supporters came out on the streets around Islamabad on Sunday to demand the release of Mr Khan. The rallies, which were mostly peaceful, turned violent after some of the members clashed with the police, according to reports.

On Monday, an Islamabad police spokesperson confirmed that they arrested PTI president Gohar Khan, lawmaker Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, and advocate Shoaib Shaheen.

PTI told The Independent that at least 13 politicians were arrested in what they condemned as a “despicable” and “vicious” act.

Videos circulating on social media showed police taking Gohar Khan out of his vehicle before whisking him off to a police station.

“The way this illegitimate military government violated the sanctity of the House of Pakistan on 10 September, once again trampling on the constitution and law of Pakistan, is condemnable,” PTI said in a statement on X.

Mr Khan is lodged in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi while he contests a series of legal challenges mostly involving corruption charges, all of which his supporters denounce as being politically motivated. He has been acquitted or granted bail in many of the most serious cases.

Mr Khan was cleared of exposing state secrets for disclosing a diplomatic cable at a 2022 political rally, and he and his wife were acquitted of unlawful marriage charges in July.

However, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested him in a new case this July relating to the illegal sale of state gifts.

Protest rally to demand release of Imran Khan witnessed huge turnout of supporters on Sunday (EPA)

The PTI alleged that the ruling coalition government was involved in an “unconstitutional and undemocratic process to maintain their illegitimate power”.

The crackdown on the PTI leadership came after the lawmakers issued an ultimatum to the government in their fiery speeches, saying the people will march on Lahore if Mr Khan is not released in two weeks time.

“These people, who erected the containers, whose police charged you with batons, I want them to listen [that] we are coming to Lahore,” Mr Marwat had reportedly said at the rally.

Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, the chief minister of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, reportedly told a charged crowd: “If Imran Khan is not released within two weeks, then we ourselves will have him released.”

PTI party leaders demanded release within two-week (AFP via Getty Images)

Authorities said charges will be brought against Mr Gandapur for the two-week ultimatum and allegedly inciting people to violence.

PTI claims 13 leaders have been detained so far (AFP via Getty Images)

Zulfi Bukhari, Mr Khan’s spokesperson, condemned the crackdown on the party’s top leaders and supporters, calling it "a knee-jerk reaction" to the gathering of people in "huge numbers".

He said Mr Gandapur became incommunicado for over six hours after reports of him being picked up by the police. He has now returned to Peshawar.

Imran Khan remains arrested since August last year (AP)

He also said the party leaders were arrested because they "took a firm stance” demanding the politician’s release.

Mr Khan’s PTI is at odds with the ruling Shehbaz Sharif government since the former star cricketer, 72, was ousted in a no-confidence motion. He alleged that his ouster was orchestrated by Pakistan’s powerful army at the behest of the US. The army and the US denied the allegation.

He was the prime minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022.

Mr Khan and his party were barred from contesting the national election in February which was alleged to have been rigged. Candidates aligned with the party, forced to contest independently, still won most seats in the parliament but not enough to form the government.

Pakistan’s parliament hurriedly passed the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024 last week to regulate and ban public gatherings in Islamabad. The bill, which was made into law in less than a week after being tabled in Senate, has been criticised as “draconian legislation” to crackdown on protesters.

Amnesty International said the law is “to criminalize peaceful protest and suppress the expression of dissent” and demanded that the Pakistani government repeal it.

“Rather than attempting to bring the existing restrictive legal framework in line with international human rights law and standards, the Government of Pakistan has shown inordinate speed in ensuring the passage of the new bill,” said Babu Ram Pant, deputy regional director for South Asia at Amnesty International.

“The law expands the power of the authorities to restrict or ban assemblies in Islamabad on overbroad grounds, including the ‘disruption of daily activities’, and significantly increases the maximum penalty for taking part in an ‘unlawful assembly’ from six months to three years imprisonment,” Mr Pant said.