Thousands protest in Pakistan after arrest warrant issued for Imran Khan

Thousands of people came out on the roads across Pakistan on Saturday to protest after a court issued an arrest warrant against former Prime Minister Imran Khan for threatening a female judge.

Supporters of the cricketing legend formed a human chain around his Banigali residence in Islamabad, eyewitnesses told The Telegraph. He was last night reported to be holed up there with hundreds of security guards.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) leaders called their supporters to reach his residence after a prisoner van arrived nearly 2 kilometres away at Imran Khan Chowk.

Holding canes and banners featuring slogans hailing Khan, the PTI supporters were standing guard outside Banigala amid heavy rains.

The PTI secretary general, Asad Umar, warned that whoever tried to detain Khan would “regret it”.

'Khan is our red line'

“Khan is our red line. If they (government) try to cross the red line and enter Banigala then we will make Islamabad a jail for you by tomorrow morning,” said Murad Saeed, a close aide of Khan.

However, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, said Imran’s arrest warrant was routine and bailable. “It is [for] a bailable crime. There is no question of arrest,” the interior minister said on Geo News programme “Naya Pakistan”.

The arrest warrant was issued shortly after ruling PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said Khan’s residence should be raided to recover the “missing” copy of a diplomatic cypher that carries the details of the purported “foreign conspiracy” that allegedly led to the toppling of his government.

On August 20, Khan in a public rally said his supporters “won’t spare” the officials including a female judge, Zeba Chaudhary, responsible for detaining Shahbaz Gill, one of his key advisers.

Terrorism charges dropped

Police filed terrorism charges against Khan over the comments, which were dropped by the court. However, the charges for threatening the judge still stand, even though he told the court that he would apologise if the judges thought he had crossed "a red line”.

The Islamabad police said Khan didn’t attend the last court hearing on September 30, necessitating an arrest warrant against him to ensure his presence.

The PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry said that they would shortly apply to the duty magistrate, seeking a suspension of the warrant.

Khan has been holding massive rallies across the country to try and force early elections, alleging that his government was toppled by a US-backed foreign conspiracy for his warm relationship with Russia and for visiting Moscow on the day Putin invaded Ukraine.

He was forced out of power in April in a no-confidence vote, but his popularity has since increased.

Ravaged by heavy floods, Pakistan is going through a financial crisis and looking for foreign aid amid ongoing political tensions and rising inflation.

Officials said there was no threat to the ongoing T20 cricket matches between Pakistan and England and that they will happen according to the schedule.