Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan says the authorities are illegally trying to arrest him.
He instructed, “They should all be subject to the law of the land.”
Police and supporters of Mr. Khan, a former prime minister, clashed outside his residence as they attempted to arrest him on a court order.
He is accused of selling state presents while in office. He claims that the case is motivated by politics.
Tuesday was fraught outside his Lahore, Pakistan, compound as police attempted to force their way inside.
Officers launched tear gas shells to disperse Mr. Khan’s supporters, who were throwing rocks and bricks.
The 70-year-old lawmaker pledged in a video to appear in court in Islamabad on Saturday.
He added that there were security concerns as there had previously been two militant assaults on the court.
Mr. Khan asserted that there was “no reason” for police to detain him on Tuesday, given that he had posted bail until Saturday. He added that the government intended to imprison him despite previous failures.
Tuesday, he stated, “I am mentally prepared to spend the evening in a cell.” “I do not know how many nights this will last, but I am prepared.”
The former prime minister displayed what he claimed to be tear gas canisters launched onto his property.
He claimed that the authorities were attempting to detain him to prevent his party from running in upcoming elections. However, he added, “Whether I am in jail or not, they will be unable to prevent my party from winning.”
The minister of the government, Marriyum Aurangzeb, stated that the detention had nothing to do with the upcoming election and that the police were merely carrying out court orders to arrest him in connection with corruption cases.
She asserted that Mr. Khan used his party members, women, and children as human shields to avoid arrest and incite unrest.
In addition, Mr. Khan’s supporters are holding demonstrations in other cities.
He was deposed as prime minister in April of last year, but he has maintained pressure on his successor Shehbaz Sharif through demonstrations and speeches demanding that elections scheduled for later this year be held sooner.
He holds Mr. Sharif responsible for the November assassination attempt at a rally where he was wounded in the thigh.
