The arrest of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in a graft case has resulted in widespread protests across the country, with his supporters taking to the streets to demand his release. While many protesters were peaceful, some resorted to violence and looting.
In Lahore, some of Khan's supporters broke into the Corps Commander's house and stole items from the residence, including peacocks and frozen strawberries. In one viral video, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker was seen holding a peacock and claiming that he took it because it was bought with "citizen's money".
Another video showed two men holding two white peacocks that they allegedly stole from the residence of the army's Corps Commander.
Looters also took food and Coca Cola with one of them saying he would feed the dish to cats and dogs. Protestors also took away tomato ketchup, salad, yoghurt and live chickens. They told the woman making the video that they got the stuff from the kitchen.
Khan's supporters also vandalized the house of a commander with sticks. The protests led to the imposition of Section 144 across the country, which prohibits gatherings of more than four people in public places.
Khan's arrest was related to the Al-Qadir Trust case, and he was taken into custody ahead of his appearance before the Islamabad High Court to seek bail in multiple FIRs registered against him. He is facing a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiry related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon that reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer. Khan and other accused allegedly adjusted Rs 50 billion sent by Britain's National Crime Agency to the government.
The official Twitter handle of Khan's party shared a video showing scores of supporters marching on the streets demanding his release. The protests have not subsided, and there are concerns that they could escalate further.
PTI workers protested in cities across the country, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, and Mardan, Geo News reported.
Read: It has come down to street power versus Pakistan Army’s grip over power
The violence and looting by some of Khan's supporters have been widely condemned.
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