Regional
Imran Khan appears in court as Pakistan braces for violence
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan appeared in court Wednesday, a day after he was dragged from another court and arrested in Islamabad, and his supporters clashed with police across the country.
A judge was asked to approve keeping the 70-year-old opposition leader in custody for up to 14 days.
Khan, who lost power last year but remains the country’s most popular opposition figure, is the seventh former prime minister to be arrested in Pakistan. His arrest deepened political turmoil and sparked violent demonstrations on Tuesday, Associated Press reported.
At least two people were killed in the overnight violence, one in the southwestern city of Quetta and the other in northwestern Pakistan, and dozens were wounded in various parts of the country.
In eastern Punjab province, where authorities said 157 police officers were injured in clashes with Khan supporters, the local government asked the army to step in and restore order.
Pakistan’s GEO television broadcast footage showing Khan appearing before a judge at a temporary court inside a police compound Wednesday. The former premier was seen seated in a chair, holding documents. He appeared calm but tired.
The judge is expected to rule on the request for a 14-day detention later in the day. Meanwhile, Khan’s legal team challenged his arrest before the Islamabad High Court, seeking his release.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party had called for demonstrators to remain peaceful, hours after mobs angered over the dramatic arrest set fire to the residence of a top army general in the eastern city of Lahore.
When he was arrested on Tuesday, Khan was appearing in court on multiple graft charges brought by Islamabad police. As he showed up in court, dozens of agents from the National Accountability Bureau backed by paramilitary troops stormed the courtroom, breaking windows after Khan’s guards refused to open the door.
Khan’s supporters attacked the military’s headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi near the capital, Islamabad, but did not reach the main building housing the offices of army chief Gen. Asim Munir.
Other demonstrators tried to reach the prime minister’s residence in Lahore, but were driven off by baton-wielding police. Others attacked vehicles carrying troops and hit armed soldiers with sticks. So far, police and soldiers have not fired at protesters.
The military has not commented on the attacks on its facilities. None of the leaders from Khan’s party denounced the attacks on the military.
A police statement Wednesday said officers in eastern Punjab province arrested 945 Khan supporters since Tuesday — including Asad Umar, a senior leader from Khan’s party. Dozens of Khan supporters were also detained in Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and elsewhere.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, senior vice president from Khan’s party, appealed for peaceful demonstrations Wednesday, urging followers: “Don’t damage public property, don’t attack offices, as we are peace lovers.” He said the party is considering challenging Khan’s arrest in the Supreme Court.
By morning, police said some 2,000 protesters still surrounded the fire-damaged residence in Lahore of Lt. Gen. Salman Fayyaz Ghani, a top regional commander. They chanted slogans at the military, including “Khan is our red line and you have crossed it.” Ghani and his family members were moved to a safer place when the mob on Tuesday first attacked their sprawling house.
Police deployed in force across the country, and placed shipping containers on a road leading to the sprawling police compound in Islamabad where Khan is being held and where he appeared before a judge at the temporary court placed there for security reasons, according to the government.
Amid violence, Pakistan’s telecommunication authority on Tuesday blocked social media, including Twitter. The government also suspended internet service in Islamabad and other cities. Classes at some private schools were canceled for Wednesday.
Rights group Amnesty International said it was alarmed by reports of Pakistani authorities blocking access to mobile internet networks and social media — Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are suspended for a second day. Amnesty urged authorities to show restraint, saying clashes between law enforcement and Khan’s supporters risk human rights violations.
Regional
Turkey detains 115 suspected Daesh members believed planning attacks
Turkish authorities have detained 115 suspected Daesh members they said were planning to carry out attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations in the country, the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office said on Thursday.
Istanbul Police obtained information that Daesh members had planned attacks in Turkey, against non-Muslims in particular, during Christmas and New Year celebrations, the prosecutor’s office posted on X, Reuters reported.
The police raided 124 places in Istanbul, capturing 115 of the 137 suspects they were seeking, the statement said. Several pistols and ammunition were seized, it said.
Regional
Pakistan agrees to $4 billion arms deal with Libyan National Army
The package reportedly includes air, land and naval equipment and may involve the sale of JF-17 fighter jets and Super Mushak trainer aircraft to Libya.
Pakistan has reached a military equipment deal worth more than $4 billion with Libya’s eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), Pakistani officials said, despite a long-standing United Nations arms embargo on the country.
The agreement was finalised following a recent meeting in Benghazi between Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Saddam Khalifa Haftar, the LNA’s deputy commander-in-chief. Officials said the deal will be implemented over about two and a half years, Reuters reported.
According to officials familiar with the agreement, the package includes air, land and naval equipment and may involve the sale of JF-17 fighter jets and Super Mushak trainer aircraft. Estimates of the deal’s value range between $4 billion and $4.6 billion, making it one of Pakistan’s largest-ever defence exports.
The LNA confirmed entering a defence cooperation pact with Pakistan, covering weapons sales, training and military manufacturing, though it did not provide details. Haftar described the agreement as the start of a “new phase of strategic military cooperation.”
Libya has been under a UN arms embargo since 2011, requiring international approval for weapons transfers. It remains unclear whether exemptions have been sought. Pakistani officials said the deal does not violate UN restrictions, noting that several countries continue to engage militarily with Libyan factions.
Pakistan has been actively expanding its defence exports, promoting its domestically produced and China co-developed JF-17 fighter as a lower-cost alternative to Western aircraft.
The Libya agreement would mark a significant expansion of Pakistan’s defence footprint in North Africa amid growing international competition for influence in the country.
Regional
Imran Khan calls for street movement, urges public to reclaim rights
Khan has appealed for collective action, saying the movement was necessary to restore the rule of law, ensure justice, and end what he described as politically motivated and pre-determined court decisions.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has called on his supporters and the wider public to prepare for a nationwide street movement, urging citizens to rise in defense of their fundamental rights.
In a message issued from Adiala Jail, where he is currently detained, Khan appealed for collective action, saying the movement was necessary to restore the rule of law, ensure justice, and end what he described as politically motivated and pre-determined court decisions.
Khan said the recent verdict against him was part of sustained political pressure, alleging that the ruling was delivered without due legal process and without giving him a fair opportunity to present his defense. He warned that such practices have severely damaged the credibility of Pakistan’s judicial system.
The former prime minister also called on lawyers, constitutional experts, and members of the legal community to stand with the public and play an active role in safeguarding the Constitution and the rule of law. He said political stability and economic progress were impossible without an independent and impartial judiciary.
Addressing civil-military relations, Khan said his criticism was aimed at individuals rather than institutions. He described the military as belonging to the people of Pakistan, while alleging that actions taken against him in detention were carried out on the instructions of military authorities.
Khan drew comparisons with the 2007 political crisis, warning that continued erosion of the rule of law would have lasting consequences for the country. He praised judges who resist pressure as national heroes and criticized those who, he said, follow orders without question.
The statement comes amid heightened political and judicial tensions in Pakistan, with Khan’s trial and detention continuing to draw strong domestic and international attention.
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