Pakistan’s government on Wednesday authorized the deployment of troops to the country’s most populous province, Punjab, to take control of the region following violent demonstrations against the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Federal Government of Pakistan “authorizes the deployment of troops and assets of the Pakistan Army to maintain law and order throughout the province of Punjab for the benefit of the civil power”according to the order determined by the Pakistani Executive.
The text says that “the army will work with the district administration to restore law, order and peace”, although it does not specify how many troops will be sent to the region.
The Punjab province, of which Lahore is the capital, has faced violent demonstrations since the arrest of Imran Khan at a court in Islamabad on Tuesday.
According to local police, 945 arrests have been recorded in Pujab province, according to Pakistani media, and more than 130 police officers have been injured since the protests began.
The people were arrested for alleged involvement in acts of vandalism, violence and attacks on official offices across the province, causing damage to 25 police vehicles and 14 government buildings, according to a police spokesman.
More than 1,000 people were arrested across the country in the aftermath of the protests.
At least one person has been killed in the southwestern city of Quetta and dozens injured in various parts of the country, according to the Associated Press (AP) news agency.
Mobile internet services across the country remain suspended indefinitely and several locations have experienced problems accessing the most popular social networks, such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Exceptional measures have been imposed in the capital and province of Punjab, allowing authorities to ban activities that pose a perceived security threat.
Imran Khan has been implicated in several corruption cases, but the politician has avoided hearings and court hearings, citing his ill health and poor security after suffering gunshot wounds to both legs in an assassination attempt last November.
The former prime minister was removed from office in April 2022 following a vote of censure, which Khan attributed to a US initiative to remove him from power, though he later claimed it was former Pakistan army chief Qamar Bajwa who conspired with the opposition to oust him.
Imran Khan campaigned against the government of his successor Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and demanded early elections in the country.
Source: DN
