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Former Prime Minister Khan’s Arrest Sparks United Nations’ Call for Calm in Pakistan

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The United Nations urged all parties in Pakistan to refrain from resorting to violence in the wake of the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“The Secretary-General takes note of the ongoing protests that have erupted following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan yesterday in Islamabad and calls on all parties to refrain from violence. He stresses the need to respect the right to peaceful assembly,” he said. Statement by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“The Secretary-General urges the authorities to respect due process and the rule of law in the actions taken against former Prime Minister Khan,” the statement added.

At least six people were killed and several others injured after protests erupted across Pakistan against Khan’s arrest on Tuesday.

Khan was arrested on May 9 in connection with alleged corruption involving the Qadir University Trust.

The cricketer-turned-politician and his wife, Bushra Bibi, are alleged to have received billions of rupees and a huge chunk of expensive land to build the educational institution in exchange for releasing a sum of £190 million ($239 million) to an estate. pole in 2020.

The amount was determined and returned to the country by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), following a settlement with property tycoon Malik Riaz in 2019.

The National Accountability Bureau, Pakistan’s anti-corruption body, alleges that Khan’s PTI government struck a deal with Riaz that caused him to lose more than $239 million to the national treasury, in a barter arrangement with the businessman.

But Khan and his party leaders denied the allegations.

Khan was arrested on Tuesday during a routine hearing in the capital, Islamabad, and taken to an unknown location overnight before appearing behind closed doors at a specially convened court at the police headquarters.

The drama comes after months of political crisis during which Khan, who was ousted in April last year, waged an unprecedented campaign against the country’s powerful army.

“If they think the arrest of Imran Khan will affect our morale, they are gravely mistaken,” said Niaz Ali in Peshawar, where many monuments and government buildings were set on fire.

“We stand with Imran Khan and will support him to death.”

Ali Bukhari, Khan’s lawyer, told AFP by phone that the court had approved eight days of pretrial detention for Khan at the request of the country’s top corruption agency.

Afzal Marwat, another lawyer for Khan, said earlier that Khan was in “good spirits” but had complained of being beaten on the head and leg by the paramilitary forces who arrested him.

The former cricket star, who remains hugely popular, said earlier that the dozens of cases against him are part of the government and military’s faltering efforts to prevent him from returning to power.

His arrest sent thousands of his supporters onto the streets in cities across the country, as police tried to quell the crowds with tear gas.

Police and hospitals reported that at least six people have died in incidents linked to the protests, including one person who died of smoke inhalation after a multi-storey building was set on fire in Lahore.

Russia urges calm in Pakistan

Russia also called on all parties in Pakistan to resolve their dispute through peaceful means.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news conference in Moscow that Russia was “closely following” the events surrounding the arrest of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“We call on all parties to resolve differences by peaceful means, and we expect that mass protests in Pakistani cities will take place without serious clashes, and that the situation in the country will return to normal soon,” Zakharova said.

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