Pakistan political crisis: In a YouTube address, Imran Khan, Pakistan's former prime minister, said that he will continue fighting for the rule of law in the country, asserting that he will neither strike a deal nor surrender even if the government puts him in jail.
Addressing the nation on Sunday evening, Khan said his fight is for the better future of his country and its people.
"I will neither make a deal nor surrender even if they put me in jail. I will continue fighting for the rule of law and a better future for the people of my country,” Khan said. The 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) party chief travelled to Islamabad from Lahore on Monday to seek an extension to his pre-arrest bail in 19 cases. Khan is facing over 140 cases. The cases mostly relate to terrorism, inciting the public to violence, arson attacks, blasphemy, attempted murder, corruption and fraud.
Meanwhile, police in Lahore arrested 30 PTI workers, including former football star Shumaila Sattar, on Sunday for trying to meet Khan at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, a police officer said on Monday. Sattar was a former member of the national women’s football team.
A senior lawyer, who is a petitioner against the trial of civilians in the military courts, was also "abducted" after he met with Khan in Lahore, the officer said.
The Lahore police said that Sattar has been arrested in connection with the attack on Corps Commander House in Lahore on May 9. She was identified through geo-fencing and sent to jail on judicial remand, police said.
Khan has also said senior advocate of the Supreme Court Aziz Bhandhari has been abducted (by agencies) after he called on him at his Zaman Park residence the other day.
He said Advocate Bhandhari had filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the trial of civilians in military courts.
"This is a complete martial law in the country," he said.
The 30 PTI workers, who were freed from jail in connection with the May 9 violence, wanted to see Khan and have been re-arrested under the public disorder act. Widespread violence erupted in Pakistan after Khan was arrested by paramilitary personnel inside the Islamabad High Court on May 9. He was later released on bail.
Over 20 military installations and state buildings including military headquarters in Rawalpindi were damaged or torched in the violent protests that followed Khan's arrest.
According to PTI, law enforcement agencies arrested over 10,000 party workers across Pakistan, mostly from Punjab.
Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician, was ousted from power after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him for his independent foreign policy on Russia, China and Afghanistan.
(With inputs from PTI)
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