Islamabad, Pakistan(CNN) Pakistan’s political turmoil deepened Wednesday as supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan vented their fury after he was dramatically arrested by paramilitary troops in a major escalation of a year-long political standoff that has put the South Asian country on edge.
Khan’s arrest on Tuesday over multiple corruption charges turbocharged an already tense showdown between the country’s powerful military and his supporters, who hit the streets and sparked unprecedented scenes as angry crowds broke into and vandalized the homes of army personnel.
Clashes continued Wednesday with hundreds of Khan’s supporters storming the headquarters of the national broadcaster Radio Pakistan in Peshawar, according to a CNN journalist at the scene.
Photos from Peshawar’s streets showed security forces firing teargas at crowds, some of whom used slingshots.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters clash with police during a protest against the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in Peshawar on May 10, 2023.
Police said nearly 1,000 Khan supporters had been arrested in Punjab province after 25 police vehicles and more than 14 government buildings were set on fire, Reuters reported.
Authorities in three of Pakistan’s four provinces have also imposed an emergency order banning all gatherings, Reuters added.
Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s minister for planning and development, told reporters on Wednesday that Khan had “chosen a path of spreading anarchy, chaos and destruction” to “protect himself from accountability.”
“I want to assure there is no political vendetta,” he added.
Khan’s supporters and riot police also gathered outside police headquarters in Islamabad on Wednesday, where an impromptu court hearing was set to be held before judges, surrounded by a ring of security forces.
The hearing took place in the police station rather than a court to “keep him away from the public”, police said. Khan’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry told CNN Wednesday he has had “no contact” with his client.
Motorists ride past burnt vehicles in front of Zaman Park in Lahore on May 10, 2023.
A lawyer for National Accountability Bureau (NAB) — Pakistan’s anti-corruption watchdog — told CNN they were requesting a fourteen-day remand for Khan.
Video before Khan’s arrest on Tuesday showed paramilitary forces breaking a window to get to the politician as he watched impassively at the unfolding chaos. Khan was then led into a vehicle surrounded by dozens of security officers and escorted away.
In a pre-recorded statement released on YouTube by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party after his arrest, the former prime minister said he was “detained on incorrect charges” and told his supporters “the…
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