Wave of mass arrests stumps Khan’s plan for sit-in protest

PAKISTAN has blocked a protest rally in support of Imran Khan, the ousted prime minister, after police conducted sweeping raids on supporters’ homes.

Officers detained hundreds of people before a large-scale sit-in planned by the former premier.

Mr Khan, the former international cricketer turned populist politician, was forced out of power last month by a vote of no confidence. He has staged a series of mass rallies since being removed, heaping pressure on the fragile new coalition government.

Mr Khan had planned to lead tens of thousands of supporters from his power base in the north-western city of Peshawar to the capital, Islamabad, today to demand fresh elections.

“I will be leading the largest march of Pakistan’s history. I don’t consider it politics but jihad,” he said, referring to a term used to describe a struggle.

Security was tightened across the country, as shipping containers were used to block roads into Islamabad and the government quarter was sealed off. Roads into Lahore, in Punjab – the most populous province – were also blocked.

“This [protest] is being done to divide the nation and promote chaos,” Rana Sanaullah, the interior minister, said. “Nobody should be allowed to besiege the capital and dictate his terms.”

Police said more than 200 supporters of Mr Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) party were arrested in overnight raids in Punjab. They were charged with public order offences and remain in detention, one source said.

Fawad Chaudhry, Mr Khan’s former information minister, accused officers of not having the requisite warrants and put the number of arrests at over 400.

One police officer was shot dead in a raid on a PTI supporter’s house in Lahore, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab’s chief minister, said.

Police have not officially commented on the arrests or allegations.