“There’s a army that catches corrupt people,” says the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf prime minister
Local media outlet Geo reported Khan was arrested in relation to a case filed in Pakistan’s anti-corruption court, which some analysts say is used to hound critics of the military.
The footage shared by the media team was of men breaking a window to get the former prime minister out of the room.
Following Khan’s detention, roads clogged with panicking commuters who rushed to pick up children from school and leave work, fearing protesters would block roads. In the past, supporters of Khan have ignored police orders and protested despite them. In some areas of Islamabad, internet services appeared to have been stopped.
In the Pakistani city of Lahore, which has become Khan’s seat of power, his party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf, posted an image on Twitter of an alarm siren and urged supporters to reach a popular crossing to demonstrate. The words are: “reach liberty chowk.” Right Now,” were emblazoned across the image.
Asad Umar, one of Khan’s close friends, said in a tweeter that Pakistan’s biggest political leader was arrested. The world can see that there’s no law and order in Pakistan. Umar said Khan’s party had formed a six-member committee to decide on further actions.
The detention came after the Pakistan’s military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Sharif released an usually sharply-worded statement against the former prime minister — warning him not to malign a serving officer, describing Khan’s claims as “highly irresponsible and baseless allegations,” which were “unfortunate, deplorable and unacceptable.”
That followed recent allegations made by Khan that a military intelligence official was leading behind a plot to kill him. To add insult to the allegations, Khan referred to him as “Dirty Harry,” from an old Clint Eastwood movie – allegations he doubled down on Tuesday, before reaching the court house.
Khan referred to the military spokesman in a video statement as “ISPR saharaib” and said action against black sheep improves its credibility. According to translated remarks, he said an institution that catches corrupt people strengthens itself. “It is my army, my Pakistan, not just yours.” It’s our army.
Pakistan’s political crisis has worsened an economic crisis that has caused food prices to soar and pushed millions close to starvation. There is concern that the country could be unable to pay its debt, because of its thin foreign currency reserves.
Pakistan’s military has repeatedly signaled that it does not like, or trust Khan, after working closely with his coalition government. It is an irony not lost on many Pakistani analysts who say that it was the army who helped propel Khan’s political fortunes, and paved the way for him to win elections in 2018.
Khan’s supporters have also shared videos showing men clutching sticks and clubs, smashing up a home they identified as belonging to a senior military official in the Pakistani city of Lahore. Supporters held demonstrations outside other military compounds. The videos have not been verified by NPR.
He attended a session of one of the dozens of cases he is involved in. The protests began after footage shared by Khan’s media team showed khaki-clad men breaking a window with their batons to extricate the former prime minister, who was in a room designated to check biometric details.
On the prospects for stability in the next few hours and next few days: Mosharraf Zaidi on the horizon and the predictability of Pakistan
We are on the knife’s edge. The next few hours and next few days are going to be crucial in determining the short-term prospects for stability here,” says Mosharraf Zaidi, a columnist who heads a think tank, Tabadlab.
“If there is a lot of violence at this point, it will be because of the leadership of Khan,” says Zaidi, “but if there is some violence, it will be because of rising temperatures.”
“Ironically, for the instability and unpredictability of the moment,” he says, “there’s a counterfactual to that, which is the predictability of Pakistan: if you are a popular Pakistani politician, you end up in jail.”