Riots Reduction, Pakistan Court Orders Police To Postpone Arrest Of Former PM Imran Khan Until Thursday

Imran Khan. (Wikimedia Commons/The White House)

JAKARTA - A Pakistani court on Wednesday ordered police to stop operations to arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan, ending clashes with supporters of the former cricketer outside his home where police fired water cannons and tear gas.

Security forces withdrew from around the house in the eastern city of Lahore, easing political instability in nuclear-armed countries that are struggling with the economic crisis.

The Lahore High Court ordered police to postpone Khan's detention until Thursday, Provincial Information Minister Amir Mir told Reuters, as reported March 16.

Earlier, a senior police official said security forces had been withdrawn to secure the Pakistan Super League cricket match, the country's main sporting event.

A lower court in Islamabad has issued a warrant against Khan for opposing orders to appear in court, on charges he illegally sold the state gifts given to him by foreign officials when he served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.

Dalam sebuah tweet, Khan mengatakan bahwa ia telah menandatangani " surat jaminan" yang akan menjamin kehadirannya di pengadilan pada penggat waktu 18 Maret. Adjudan senior Fawad Chaudhry mengatakan bahwa partai Khan, Pakistan Tereek-e-Insaf, telah meminta pengadilan untuk menghentikan tindakan polisi.

According to a list shared by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb last year, the gifts given to Khan included seven watches, including one watch for 85 million rupees (about 300,000 US dollars).

The list, which is not independently verifiable by Reuters, also contains perfume, diamond jewelry, and dinner devices.

Khan has denied wrongdoing.

As previously reported, 69 people have been injured in violence in the eastern city so far, including 34 police officers, a Pakistani police official told CNN on condition of anonymity, and added that the people inside Khan's residence were armed with weapons.

As clashes escalated on Tuesday, police cut power into Khan's home and turned off street lights in the wider Zaman Park neighborhood, according to spokesman Khan and his supporters.

Khan told CNN on Tuesday he was mentally ready to spend the night in the cell. "

"I want a valid arrest warrant and I want to see it, my lawyer wants to see the arrest warrant," Khan said.

"It's just a matter of time. I'm sure they will come and arrest me, I'm ready for that," he said.

"I know what the purpose is. They wanted to get me out of the race (election). They wanted to get me out of the game so they could win the election," he said.

It is known that the legal process against Khan began after he was ousted from his post in a vote in parliament early last year. Since then, he has held a demonstration of national protests demanding a quick election, in which he was shot and injured.

Meanwhile, PM Sharif has rejected Khan's demands, saying that elections will be held according to schedule later this year.