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A Pakistani high court has ordered the police to postpone an operation to arrest Imran Khan to Friday, defusing a surge in violence that saw supporters of the former prime minister fighting pitched battles with security forces, reports Al Jazeera.
Imran Khan’s aide Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday said the Lahore High Court extended an order to halt the police operation for another day.
State Information Minister Amir Mir confirmed the court order.
The court also ordered Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to not hold its planned election rally in Lahore on Sunday, when the final match of the continuing Pakistan Super League (PSL) Twenty20 cricket tournament will be played in the city.
Earlier on Tuesday and Wednesday, dozens of Khan’s supporters, armed with batons and sling-shots, barricaded his home to prevent security forces from arresting him for failing to show up in court over a case in which he is charged with illegally selling state gifts given to him while he was prime minister.
The court-ordered attempt to arrest Khan, which began on Tuesday, triggered clashes between his supporters and security forces in his Lahore neighbourhood, raising fears about the political stability in nuclear-armed Pakistan as it faces an economic crisis.
The violence, in which protesters torched police vehicles, a water-cannon truck and scores of cars and motorcycles and hurled petrol bombs at security forces firing tear gas and rubber bullets, subsided after the high court halted the police operation on Wednesday.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
