Civil War Breaks Out In Pakistan Due To Arrest Of Imran Khan

Pakistan is witnessing unprecedented violence and chaos after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was dragged from a courtroom and detained by paramilitary forces on Tuesday. Khan, who was ousted by his opponents in parliament a year ago, was facing corruption charges that he claimed were politically motivated.

His supporters, who have been demanding early elections, took to the streets and stormed the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, entered the residence of one military officer, blocked roads and highways, and set a police vehicle on fire in Karachi. They also gathered outside the residence of the corps commander in Lahore and outside the headquarters of Frontier Corps in Peshawar, challenging the authority of the military, which has been accused of backing Khan’s rivals.

Reports suggest that the army opened fire at protesters and some people were killed. According to journalist Ihtisham Ul Haq, 18 people were shifted to Batkhela hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but it was not yet confirmed how many people were dead. Some observers have said that Pakistan is on the brink of a civil war and that the next 48 hours will be critical for the country’s stability.

Khan, who was one of the world’s best all-rounders in cricket before entering politics, has been making claims that the army was behind two attempts made on his life. He has also accused the military of rigging the 2018 elections that brought him to power. His former information minister and close ally Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that Pakistan was “inches away from fully fledged civil unrest” and that “very soon even he [Khan] won’t be able to stop this very angry mob and we’ll see the country plunging into a civil unrest.”

The international community has expressed concern over the situation in Pakistan and urged all parties to exercise restraint and respect the rule of law. The US State Department said it was “closely monitoring” the developments and called for “calm and peaceful resolution of differences”. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also appealed for “maximum restraint” and “avoidance of violence”.

Pakistan, which is a nuclear-armed nation and a key ally in the fight against terrorism, has a history of political instability and military coups. The current crisis poses a serious threat to its democracy and security, as well as to regional peace and stability.