Tear gas fumes rose from Imran Khan’s home for a second day on Wednesday (March 15) as supporters clashed with security forces that had come to arrest the former prime minister of Pakistan for not showing up in a case against him related to selling state gifts, Reuters reports.
The clashes were halted when Pakistani security forces withdrew from Khan's home, where they had earlier fired tear gas and water cannon at hundreds of Khan's supporters who had cordoned off his home.
The violence had added to the instability in nuclear-armed Pakistan, which is struggling with an economic crisis and awaiting an International Monetary Fund bailout.
All major roads and educational institutions in Lahore were closed, as protests by supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) party continued for the second day outside Lahore High Court and on Mall Road, the main street of the city. The violence, which erupted on Tuesday (March 14) saw security forces firing tear gas and water cannons at stone-pelting crowds that had cordoned off Khan's home in Lahore. he protestors also torched one water cannon, a fire tender and dozens of motor bikes belonging to traffic wardens.
A lower court in the capital Islamabad had last week issued an arrest warrant against Khan for defying orders to present himself in court to defend charges that he unlawfully sold state gifts given to him by foreign dignitaries while he was prime minister from 2018 to 2022. Pakistan's election commission found him guilty in the matter and now a criminal inquiry is under way. Khan says he broke no rules and sold the items legally.
“If they cannot give me security, they should transfer my case to some place where I can get security," Khan said in an address, while displaying tear gas shells on his desk that had landed at his compound in Lahore since the night before.
