Karachi [Pakistan], August 6: Police in Pakistan arrested more than 240 opposition party activists on Tuesday at protests calling for the release of their leader Imran Khan on the second anniversary of his jailing, security officials and police said.
At least 122 were arrested trying to block roads and threatening law and order in the eastern city of Lahore, capital of Punjab province, said Deputy Inspector General of police Faisal Kamran. The remainder were picked up in overnight raids in the province, two security officials said.
Thousands rallied in support of Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is ruled by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, officials said. Police fired teargas in the cities of Karachi and Muzaffarabad.
"Free Imran Khan!" chanted supporters outside a Lahore courthouse, while smaller groups staged protests across the city.
Party spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari said over 200 activists were detained in Lahore alone.
"Down with the government!" shouted a group of PTI women supporters rallying in Quetta, while nearly 2,000 activists in Karachi held demonstrations on bikes, rickshaws, and other vehicles, carrying posters of Khan and party flags before police dispersed them by firing teargas.
Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi remained quiet, with heavy police deployments on main roads.
Uzma Bukhari, a spokesperson for Punjab's provincial government, said the PTI cannot be allowed to create chaos by holding the protests, a charge the party's spokesperson denied.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
