Thousands of people in Pakistan followed the ruling parties’ call and protested against the release of former Prime Minister Khan. In Islamabad, they invaded the isolated government district.
In Pakistan, thousands of government supporters stormed the isolated government district in the capital, Islamabad. The information is from the dpa news agency, quoting a police spokesman. Around 7,000 protesters followed the ruling parties’ call to take to the streets against the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The government district, where the Supreme Court building is located, was cordoned off. However, the demonstrators overcame the barricades, and buses and cars were stuck in the access roads. The situation has now calmed down and is under control, the police spokesman said. 2,500 security forces are deployed.
Protest against Chief Justice
The Pakistan Democratic Movement, an alliance of 13 political parties affiliated with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, called a demonstration outside the courthouse over the weekend. The Islamist Jamiat-e-Ulema-Islam party was one of the leaders of the protest.
The Pakistan People’s Party, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of assassinated prime minister Benazir Bhutto, is also part of the alliance and participated in the call, although the government banned demonstrations and public gatherings after the crisis.
“Our peaceful protest is against the chief justice who made Imran Khan’s release possible,” said Pakistan Democratic Alliance leader Fazalur Rehman. Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif, in a televised statement, accused the Supreme Court of siding with Khan. The court must now investigate the head judge’s behavior and take legal action against him.
Conflict between the government and Khan’s supporters
The call for protests can be understood as an attempt to show strength by the governing coalition led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against Khan’s supporters. A conflict between the two camps has been simmering for months. Faced with the economic crisis, the South Asian country is divided.
Khan was arrested on Tuesday of last week to much attention. He is accused of having accepted material possessions worth millions in order to give advantages to a real estate tycoon in return. After the arrest of the 70-year-old man, violent clashes between his supporters and security forces broke out in several cities.
Then, on Friday, May 11, the Supreme Court ordered Khan’s release on bail. Another arrest is not excluded. Then chaos can break out again. Some politicians, backed by the military, are calling for a tougher judicial crackdown on Khan.
The judiciary is taking action against Khan in about 100 cases
Former cricket star Khan came to power in the 2018 general election amid allegations that the powerful military had rigged the vote in his favor. Despite his great popularity, the former prime minister let down many supporters during his tenure. His government was repeatedly accused of mismanagement as the country plunged into an economic crisis. He was finally overthrown by a no-confidence vote in April 2022.
He has to answer in court in about 100 cases. The allegations are about corruption, money laundering and insulting a judge.
Observers see the actions against Khan as politically motivated. Khan hopes for a political comeback. He is likely to speculate on re-election in parliamentary elections planned for the fall. If convicted, however, he could be banned from office.