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Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to appear in court on Saturday after he feared arrest during a standoff with the government that sparked violent clashes with his supporters.
Police raided Khan’s home in the city of Lahore after he went to court in the capital Islamabad.
Khan, in office from 2018 to 2022, faces legal challenges, including one that led to a failed attempt to arrest him on Tuesday.
He will face charges in court on Saturday for selling state gifts given to him by foreign officials while in office.
Khan said he followed legal procedures to get the prize.
Khan, 70, arrived in the capital on Saturday evening and headed to court in a motorcade surrounded by supporters.
Islamabad’s police chief told local broadcaster Geo News that Khan’s supporters had attacked police near the court and fired tear gas shells, prompting police to fire tear gas again.
Khan has led nationwide protests since being ousted from power last year and has had several cases registered against him.
Dozens were arrested
The chief of police for the province of Punjab, Usman Anwar, told a media conference in Lahore that officers went to Khan’s house there to intercept people who had participated in previous clashes with the police and had arrested 61 people, including for throwing petrol bombs.
Earlier this week, police and Khan’s supporters clashed outside his home during an arrest attempt.
Hours before leaving his home, the former cricket star told Reuters that he had formed a committee to lead his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in case he was arrested.
Khan, who was shot and wounded while campaigning in November, said in an interview that the threat to his life is greater than ever and asserted – without providing evidence – that his political and military enemies want to prevent him from running for election later this year. .
The military and government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government has denied being behind the case against Khan. The military – which plays a large role in Pakistan, having ruled the country for almost half of its 75-year history – says it remains politically neutral.
Government ‘intends to arrest me’
The court had earlier issued an arrest warrant for Khan in the case as he had failed to appear in an earlier hearing despite being summoned.
On his bail to appear on Saturday, the court granted Khan immunity from arrest, but he said he was afraid of the police and the government was planning to arrest him.
“Now it is clear that, even though I have got bail in all my cases, the government (Pakistan Democratic Movement coalition) wants to arrest me. Despite knowing their malafide intentions, I am proceeding to Islamabad & the court because I believe in the rule of law,” Khan said on Twitter.
“It is also clear now that the entire siege of Lahore was not just to ensure that I appear in court in a case, but was intended to take me to prison so that I could not lead our election campaign.”
Pakistan’s information minister said this week that the government had nothing to do with police actions and that police were complying with court orders.
The case to be heard on Saturday is the allegation that Khan sold luxury watches and other items donated to the state during his tenure as prime minister.
Police stopped by on Tuesday
During Tuesday’s arrest attempt, hundreds of supporters prevented police from entering the venue. Authorities said they were attacked by petrol bombs, iron rods and slingshots on Tuesday.
Many of his supporters stayed back to guard Khan’s house when he left for Islamabad on Saturday.
Punjab provincial Information Minister Amir Mir told Reuters that police had arrived outside Khan’s home again on Saturday to gather evidence of attacks on police and people wanted in various cases.
“When the police came, the PTI activists tried to stop them by pelting stones and baton attacks. In retaliation, the police arrested many. The police have informed the PTI leaders about the evidence collection process,” Mir said.
Khan’s party shared a journalist’s footage showing policemen in the garden of their Lahore residence beating their supporters with batons.
Khan said his wife was alone at home at the time of the attack.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told Geo News that the police recovered weapons from a place outside Khan’s house. Sanaullah said that law enforcement personnel did not enter houses, remaining in gardens and streets.
He said police had a search warrant to conduct the search.
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