Bloody Unrest Following Imran Khan's Arrest; Pakistani Government Calls for Military Intervention

Following the deaths of several protesters against the arrest of Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, the government of the country called for military intervention on Wednesday, May 10. According to Reuters, during the recent violence that has intensified instability in this 220 million population country, at least 5 people have been killed and over a thousand have been arrested in Punjab, the home province of Imran Khan. Imran Khan, a popular political leader in Pakistan, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of corruption related to receiving a multi-million dollar piece of land. Supporters of Imran Khan set fire to several government and military buildings in various cities of Pakistan in protest against his arrest, including looting the residence of a military general in Lahore. The Pakistani government announced that local officials in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces have requested the deployment of military forces to restore order in these areas. The Pakistani army also issued a statement threatening to 'severely retaliate' against attackers on military and government properties. Meanwhile, Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesperson for the United Nations, quoted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as urging all parties involved in Pakistan to refrain from using violence. Currently, 70-year-old Imran Khan is in police custody in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. At the same time, another court that was handling the charges against Imran Khan regarding the sale of government gifts has declared him guilty in this case. Imran Khan, who was ousted from the premiership 13 months ago following a parliamentary vote of no confidence, denies these charges. Among the penalties considered for Imran Khan in over a hundred cases registered against him, is a ban on holding government positions.