Supporters of Imran Khan, Pakistan’s former prime minister and the head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, protested in several Pakistani cities on May 9 after Khan was arrested on corruption charges while appearing at court in Islamabad.
The PTI expressed outrage, called the arrest “illegal,” and issued numerous calls on social media for supporters to take to the streets and protest for Khan’s release.
“Khan has always stood for you, now it’s time to stand for him,” one post read. “Get out for the leader who cares more about your freedom than his life!” read another post, according to a machine translation. “If you don’t come out to save your country today, then the scene we are seeing right now will continue for years to come,” the PTI wrote.
This footage from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty shows supporters outside a Pakistan Army base in Mardan, where they destroyed statues of soldiers; blocking roads and marching in Lahore; protesting outside a Frontier Corp headquarters in Peshawar; and chanting in Swat.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accused Khan of “claiming legitimacy to overturn the legal and political system” while “on trial for corruption,” and said Khan’s politics were “defined by blatant lies, untruths, U-turns, and vicious attacks on institutions.”
In the following hours, Khan’s lawyer told media that the Islamabad High Court had deemed the arrest legal, according to Al Jazeera. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful
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