In a major development, the federal government has deployed army troops to control the situation on the ground as tensions escalate in Pakistan following the arrest of PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
According to the details, the Ministry of Interior has approved the Punjab government’s request for assistance by sanctioning ten companies of troops. The army would be working alongside district administration to restore law, order, and peace.
“The exact numbers of troops/assets, date, and area of deployment will be worked out by the provincial government in consultation with the MO Dte, GHQ,” a notification said.
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Similarly, the KP government has also sent a summary to the ministry seeking the deployment of the army in the province. Reports state that Army will also be deployed in Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and other districts.
Imran Khan’s arrest triggers chaos in Pakistan
Tuesday, Imran Khan was arrested by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. The PTI Chief was taken into custody by Rangers personnel, who were acting on the NAB’s warrant from the premises of Islamabad High Court where the former premier had gone to seek bail in multiple cases registered against him.
Following Imran Khan’s arrest, chaos erupted in Pakistan as the public heavily protested the arrest, with reports of violence and clashes between police and the protestors. The situation, especially in Lahore, went out of hand when protestors set four police vehicles on fire near the corp commander house.
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Punjab police spokesperson said that more than 25 vehicles of the police and government agencies were destroyed and burnt. Protesters had attacked more than 14 government buildings, looting and causing serious damage to government property, he shared. They also “seriously injured” more than 130 police officers and law enforcement personnel during the violent operations.