Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan plan to demonstrate Wednesday (May 10th) in the capital Islamabad after the arrest of the former leader for corruption, fueling fears of new clashes with the police.

Mobile phone services were cut off and access to social networks Twitter, YouTube and Facebook disrupted.

See also Pakistan: pro-Imran Khan activists still mobilized

The television broadcast a very light coverage of the violence that erupted on Tuesday after Pakistan's anti-corruption agency arrested Imran Khan as he appeared before the High Court of Justice in Islamabad.

Authorities in three of Pakistan's four provinces imposed emergency measures banning all gatherings as clashes took place in several cities between supporters of the former prime minister and security forces.

Nearly 1,000 arrested in Punjab

In Punjab province, about 130 police officers were injured in the violence, twenty-five police cars were set on fire and at least fourteen government buildings attacked, according to police, who said they had arrested 945 supporters of Imran Khan.

In the city of Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, at least one person was killed on Tuesday and twelve others wounded, including six police officers, local authorities said.

According to Pakistan's Geo News channel, Imran Khan is due to appear in two hearings on Wednesday – one on charges related to land fraud, the other on allegations of illegal sale of state gifts during his tenure as prime minister between 2018 and 2022.

His arrest threatens to deepen political unrest: this nuclear-armed country of 220 million people is facing an economic crisis with record inflation and dwindling foreign exchange reserves. The Pakistani currency hit an all-time low against the dollar on Wednesday.

With Reuters

The summary of the week France 24 invites you to look back on the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news with you everywhere! Download the France 24 app