Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan's supporters storm Army headquarters, chant slogans against establishment

Supporters of former Pakistan Prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday (May 9) stormed the Army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and the Corps Commander's residence in Lahore after his dramatic arrest in a corruption case.

According to reports, Imran Khan was undergoing a biometric process at the Islamabad High Court when the paramilitary Rangers broke open the glass window and arrested him after beating lawyers and Khan's security staff.

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The arrest of the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman comes a day after the powerful army accused him of levelling baseless allegations against a senior officer of the spy agency ISI.

As the news of his arrest by the Rangers spread, massive protests broke out in several cities across Pakistan. Protesters at several places turned violent and burned police vehicles and damaged public property.

At least four people were killed and over a dozen injured in different parts of the country in violent clashes between the security forces and the supporters of Khan.

Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan arrested outside Islamabad High Court: Reports

Speaking to reporters, senior PTI leader Shireen Mazari said, "At least four PTI workers were killed so far in different parts of the country on the firing of the law enforcement agencies. One each has been killed in Lahore, Faisalabad, Quetta, and Swat."

Footage shows that some PTI workers suffered bullet injuries in Lahore and Faisalabad during their clashes with the security agencies. The protests in Lahore and Faisalabad in some areas were still underway.

Khan's supporters also torched some vehicles of the law enforcement agencies in Faisalabad. The protesters also set on fire a toll plaza on the Swat Motorway, according to footage shared by PTI.

Video clips shared by the PTI showed that some protesters also entered the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the seat of the army while chanting slogans against the arrest of Imran Khan.

For the first time, Khan's supporters smashed the main gate of the army's sprawling headquarters in Rawalpindi, where troops exercised restraint. The protesters chanted slogans against the establishment.

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Section 144 was already in place in Islamabad and authorities had warned of arresting people violating the ban on gathering following the arrest of Khan, police said.

Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure empowers the district administration to issue orders in the public interest that may place a ban on an activity for a specific period of time.

Violent protests also spread to Karachi and Hyderabad in Sindh province and Balochistan's Quetta where PTI protesters assembled outside Army cantonment areas.

Police arrested the President of PTI in Sindh and former minister Ali Zaidi and other local leaders and took them to unknown locations. Murad Saeed, a senior PTI leader, tweeted that people should continue their protests.

Dozens of protestors have been arrested in different cities, including a 13-year-old girl in Rawalpindi who had come out to protest in support of Khan.

In Peshawar, Khan's supporters set a monument of the Chaghi Mountain inside the premises of the Peshawar Radio Station on fire. The Chaghi mountain model was set up in commemoration of Pakistan becoming a nuclear power in 1998.

The Peshawar cantonment and roads leading to the Corps Headquarters and the house of the Corps Commander in Peshawar were sealed.

A large number of PTI workers also pelted stones at the residence of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah in Faisalabad City. Similarly, protests were held in Multan, Jhang, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Khanewal, Vehari, Gujranwala, Hafizabad and Gujrat cities.

(With inputs from PTI)