- By Caroline Davies, Robert Greenall and Nicholas Yong
- in Islamabad, London and Singapore
March 14, 2023
Updated 25 minutes ago
video caption,
am: Imran Khan’s home in Lahore was hit with tear gas
Pakistan’s main opposition leader, Imran Khan, says authorities are acting outside the law in their attempt to arrest him.
“They should all be subject to the law of the country,” he told the BBC.
On Tuesday, police clashed with supporters of Mr Khan, a former prime minister, outside his residence as they attempted to arrest him on a court order.
He is accused of selling government gifts during his tenure. He says the case is politically motivated.
A tense situation prevailed outside his property in the city of Lahore as police attempted to gain entry.
Officials fired tear gas grenades to disperse supporters of Mr Khan, who threw stones and bricks.
In a video address, the 70-year-old politician offered to sign a guarantee that he would appear in a court in Islamabad on Saturday.
He added that there were security concerns as two militant attacks on the court had previously taken place.
Mr Khan claimed there was “no reason” for police to arrest him on Tuesday as he had taken protective bail until Saturday. He also said the government is determined to put him behind bars after previous failed attempts.
“I am mentally prepared that I will spend my night in a cell,” he said on Tuesday. “I don’t know how many nights, but I’m prepared for it.”
The former prime minister showed what he said were tear gas canisters, which he said were fired at his property.
He said authorities were trying to arrest him to prevent his party from running in the upcoming elections. But he added: “Whether I’m in jail or not, they won’t be able to prevent my party from winning.”
Government Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the move had nothing to do with elections and police are only following court orders to arrest him on corruption charges.
She claimed Mr Khan was using his party workers, women and children as human shields to avoid arrest and foment unrest.
Mr Khan’s supporters are also holding protests in other cities.
He was ousted as prime minister last April but has put pressure on his successor, Shehbaz Sharif, with demonstrations and speeches calling for earlier elections later this year.