The security forces in the country have been put on high alert following Tuesday’s violent riots in several Pakistani cities. Several provinces are now asking for the army’s help to quell the protesters. Supporters of former prime minister and cricket star Imran Khan are planning a protest march against Islamabad. On Tuesday there were violent riots. Khan is in custody in the capital on charges of corruption. He was arrested by the country’s security forces in a dramatic operation on Tuesday. Now he is being prosecuted by the Pakistani authorities, for having allegedly sold state gifts when he was sitting prime minister. He will now be detained for 8 days. Large protests erupted in Karachi on Tuesday following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan. Photo: AKHTAR SOOMRO / Reuters The arrest led to large demonstrations and riots. Two people lost their lives. In Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, cars were set on fire. The police sent large forces into the streets where there were violent clashes in several places. In the Punjab region, the authorities gave the green light to send in soldiers against the protesters. In both Lahore and Rawalpindi, military facilities were stormed by angry protesters. Several buildings were set on fire. In Karachi and Lahore, the police used tear gas against the protesters. Both the internet and social media were shut down. Several schools and roads are now closed. Four provinces have adopted emergency laws and imposed bans on gatherings in support of Khan. Marching on the capital Khan’s political party, PTI, is asking people to take to the streets to demonstrate against the arrest of Khan which they say is against the constitution. Protesters blocked roads in Peshawar on Tuesday. Photo: Muhammad Sajjad / AP 70-year-old Khan was deposed as prime minister a year ago. He was defeated after a motion of no confidence. Khan is charged with terrorist offences, attacks on police and threats to kill. He is also accused of illegally selling gifts he received from other countries while he was prime minister. May be barred from running for office The military has a lot of power in Pakistan, but Khan has long since lost their support. Khan was arrested after the country’s powerful military reprimanded Khan for accusing a military officer of wanting to kill him. The military also reacts to Khan claiming that they were behind his departure last year. Here, Imran Khan is led into a police car after his dramatic arrest on Tuesday. Photo: PTI / Reuters If Khan is convicted, his political ambitions will in practice be hampered. The reason is that he will then be deprived of the right to hold public office. In November there are elections in Pakistan. Political and economic crisis The government, for its part, says the riots in the country are not a direct reaction to the arrest of Khan, but a planned action by the PTI. The party has advocated a shutdown of Pakistani society while Khan himself will be heard in the corruption cases against him. The hearings will not take place in a courtroom, but at the police station where Khan is imprisoned. Large protests and clashes between protesters and police in Lahore on Tuesday. Photo: ARIF ALI / AFP The riots worsen the political situation in Pakistan. The country’s 220 million inhabitants are struggling with one of the worst economic crises in decades. Prices are record high. The country is eating away at its foreign exchange reserves, making it difficult to import goods. An aid package from the International Monetary Fund, the IMF, is waiting.
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