Pakistan arrests Imran Khan’s party leaders as protests continue

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party has accused Pakistani authorities of arresting a senior leader as the government deploys the army to help end deadly unrest sparked by Khan’s arrest three days ago.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Thursday alleged Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who served as foreign minister in Khan’s cabinet during his four-year premiership, was arrested overnight.

Two other senior leaders of PTI, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, were also arrested on Wednesday.

The violence sparked by Khan’s arrest on Tuesday by the country’s anti-corruption agency has aggravated instability in the country of 220 million people as it grapples with a severe economic crisis and a delay to an International Monetary Fund bailout since November.

Protesters have stormed military buildings and ransacked the residence of a top army general in the eastern city of Lahore. Other state buildings and assets have been attacked and set ablaze by protesters.

At least five people have died in the violence.

Source: Somali National News Agency