Islamabad: At least eight people were killed in the unrest and about 1,000 are currently in police custody. The Pakistani military has been called into action amid a wave of violent protests following the ex-prime minister Imran Khan's arrest earlier this week.
Following Khan's indictment on new corruption charges on Wednesday, the armed forces were summoned to quell unruly protesters. Khan's supporters were furious about his arrest the day before; they gathered in Islamabad and other cities to block roads, fight with police, and even attack military and law enforcement facilities.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif stated in a televised address that "Such scenes were never seen by the people of Pakistan," adding that he had sent troops to several areas where rioters had "damaged sensitive public and private property."
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Sharif continued by describing assaults on ambulances and first responders, calling such actions "unforgivable" and warning of severe repercussions for those responsible.
Eight people have died in the clashes so far, according to police sources cited by the BBC, while 1,000 people have been detained, the majority of them in the eastern Punjab province. According to local officials, 157 police officers were hurt during clashes in the area, prompting the army's deployment.
The Associated Press photographed some of the unrest as it was happening; protesters could be seen throwing objects at police and setting street fires.
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Later, the military released a statement of its own in which it warned that the current chaos was driving Pakistan towards "civil war" and threatened to take "strict action" against anyone responsible for attacks on military targets.
Armed agents from the National Accountability Bureau stormed the building to arrest Khan on Tuesday as he was being questioned about fresh corruption allegations in a court in Islamabad. After being ousted from office by a no-confidence vote last year, the 70-year-old politician has since been charged with a plethora of offences, including "terrorism."
He is currently detained in a police compound in the Pakistani capital, where a court recently mandated that he remain there for an additional eight days, while he awaits his next hearing.
Khan wasn't detained, Imran. Of all places, a courtroom was where he was forcedly taken. Find me a law, anywhere in the world, that permits paramilitaries to storm a courtroom and kidnap someone there.
The beginnings of a CIA-sponsored civil war are taking place right now, and it is time for those corrupted Pakistani generals to take a deep breath, empty their treasonous pockets, and act in Pakistan's best interests.
