Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, react as they blocked the road during clashes, ahead of Khan's possible arrest outside his home, in Lahore, Pakistan March 14, 2023. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza
(Reuters) - Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan faces a court-ordered arrest by police in the eastern city of Lahore on Wednesday amid clashes between his supporters and law enforcement personnel.
Here are key details of the situation:
- Court orders to arrest Khan came in a case pertaining to his selling state gifts given by foreign leaders while he was prime minister. Pakistan's election commission found him guilty in the matter and now a criminal inquiry is under way. Khan says he broke no rules and sold the items legally.
- Police say a court in Islamabad ordered Khan's arrest for not appearing before it despite repeated summons. Khan and his aides cite security concerns for the non-appearance. He was injured in an attack on his protest gathering last year.
- Khan says 76 cases have been registered against him since he was ousted by a parliamentary vote in April 2022, less than four years into his five-year term. He has appeared in court for other cases.
- If convicted, Khan faces being barred from holding public office, which would be a setback for the cricketer-turned-politician with a national election scheduled for November.
- If he is arrested, Khan's party has vowed to ramp up protests, which analysts say would add to the struggles of a government already hobbled by an economic crisis that has left the nuclear-armed country on the brink of default.
(Reporting by Islamabad bureau; Editing by Alison Williams and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
