The government has already enforced a two-month ban on street rallies in the capital

Pakistani police launched a nation-wide crackdown overnight, arresting at least 1,500 supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan ahead of an Opposition rally planned later this week in Islamabad, officials said on Monday.

The arrests followed intermittent clashes since the weekend between Mr. Khan’s supporters and riot police in the capital that saw police using tear gas and batons to fight stone-throwing activists. Violence erupted again on Sunday near Mr. Khan’s suburban home and at several places on Islamabad’s outskirts.

On Monday, a Pakistani court barred Khan’s followers from demonstrating on Islamabad streets, restricting the rally to within the limits of a city park, said government prosecutor Saddique Awan. As of last week, the government has already enforced a two-month ban on street rallies in the capital.

Mr. Khan’s attorney Babar Awan said the party would appeal. The party has called for massive street demonstrations on Wednesday, threatening to lock down Islamabad in a bid to force Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign.

Mr. Sharif has been under pressure after his family members were named as holders of offshore bank accounts in leaked financial documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. </s> Cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party today filed a petition with the Election Commission seeking restrictions on ousted premier Nawaz Sharif’s political activities in the wake of his disqualification by the Supreme Court. The petition was filed by advocate Babar Awan on behalf of Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Dr Yasmeen Rashid, hours before Sharif was to lead a rally to his hometown Lahore from Islamabad via the historic Grand Trunk (GT) Road.

The petition has been filed under Section 5 of the Political Parties Order 2002 and requests Sharif’s disqualification from holding any post in any political party, the Dawn reported. The opposition has decried Sharif’s continued role in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after his disqualification by the apex court in the Panama Papers case.

The petition further states that the party carrying Sharif’s name should be banned, asking that nominations made by him for the post of the prime minister and for the cabinet should be declared illegal. On July 28, a five-member Supreme Court bench disqualified 67-year-old Sharif for dishonesty and ruled that corruption cases be filed against him and his children, forcing the embattled leader out of office. </s> Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Tuesday called off anti-government protests he had planned for Wednesday and instead announced celebrations after the Supreme Court ordered a probe against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family over the Panama Papers scandal.

Mr. Khan had threatened to ‘lock down’ the capital on Wednesday by mobilising a million supporters to force Mr. Sharif to step down over corruption allegations against him and his family.

Mr. Khan said outside his Bani Gala residence here that it was time to “celebrate victory and offer thanks”.

“Go home and rest,” he told about 300 supporters who had been camping outside his residence.

‘Thanksgiving parade’

 

 He asked them to return to Islamabad tomorrow to celebrate thanksgiving at the Parade Ground in the capital.

“I am elated that the investigation... will begin day after tomorrow,” he said.

The Supreme Court has set November 3 as date of hearing in the case.

Three of Mr. Sharif’s four children are said to be owners of offshore companies, according to the Panama Papers.

Mr. Sharif and his family have dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing but the Opposition is demanding an independent probe.

The announcement to cancel the protests came just hours after party’s spokesman Naeem ul-Haq had said that the protest would go ahead as planned.

After Mr. Khan’s announcement that he would not enforce the ‘lockdown’ it is expected that the government would lift the roadblocks and clear entry points leading to Islamabad. </s> Pakistani police launched a nation-wide crackdown overnight, arresting at least 1,500 supporters of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan ahead of an opposition rally planned later this week in Islamabad, officials said Monday.

The arrests followed intermittent clashes over the weekend between Khan’s supporters and riot police in the capital that saw police using tear gas and batons to fight stone-throwing activists.

The violence erupted again Monday when police fired tear gas on nearly 3,000 supporters on a main highway some 80 kilometre northwest of Islamabad. Khan’s party rules in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and its chief minister, Pervez Khattak, and some cabinet ministers led the protesters.

Police official Hussain Awan said the protesters pelted police with stones and bricks and chanted slogans against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had warned Sunday that the government would extend protocol to Khattak if he arrived in the capital formally but that he would be dealt with strictly if he led the protesters.

On Monday, a Pakistani court barred Khan’s followers from demonstrating on Islamabad streets, restricting the rally to within the limits of a city park, said government prosecutor Saddique Awan. As of last week, the government has already enforced a two-month ban on street rallies in the capital.

Khan’s attorney Babar Awan said the party would appeal. The party has called for massive street demonstrations for Wednesday, threatening to lock down Islamabad in a bid to force Sharif to resign.

Sharif has been under pressure after his family members were named as holders of offshore bank accounts in leaked financial documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.

Police have conducted raids based on tips and information about planned violence, said government spokesman Zaeem Qadri. Those who pledge not to take part in violent actions are released, while those considered a threat remain in custody pending charges, he said.

Two security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, said the number of those arrested overnight ranges between 1,500 and 1,800. Punjab provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah said 838 supporters were arrested.

Police have placed shipping containers on key highways leading to Islamabad to stop Khan’s party’s convoys from across Pakistan from reaching the capital.

The interior minister said Khan’s followers had violent plans, which included the storming of government offices.

Khan’s close aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi alleged that the police were manhandling and roughing up the family members of the workers. “The police are also trespassing on the houses of our leaders and activists,” he said. He said two senior leaders of the party were forcibly bundled in a police van. Both were later released on orders from the interior minister. </s> Pakistani police launched a nation-wide crackdown overnight, arresting at least 1,500 supporters of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan ahead of an opposition rally planned later this week in Islamabad, officials said Monday.

The arrests followed intermittent clashes over the weekend between Khan's supporters and riot police in the capital that saw police using tear gas and batons to fight stone-throwing protesters.

The violence erupted again Monday when police fired tear gas at nearly 3,000 supporters on a main highway some 80 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of Islamabad. Khan's party rules in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and its chief minister, Pervez Khattak, and some cabinet ministers led the protesters.

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Police official Hussain Awan said the protesters pelted police with stones and bricks, burned several vehicles and chanted slogans against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had warned Sunday that the government would extend protocol to Khattak if he arrived in the capital formally but that he would be dealt with strictly if he led the protesters.

Amnesty International expressed concern over the situation demanding that Pakistani authorities release opposition activists and allow demonstrators to exercise their right to peaceful assembly.

"Pakistan's authorities must immediately and unconditionally release hundreds of opposition activists, lift restrictions on their movement," Amnesty said in a statement. "If sporadic incidents of violence occur, the authorities should identify the responsible people. Using the violent acts of a few as a pretext to restrict or impede the rights of a majority is in clear violation of Pakistan's obligations under international law."

On Monday, a Pakistani court barred Khan's followers from demonstrating on Islamabad streets, restricting the rally to within the limits of a city park, said government prosecutor Saddique Awan. Last week, the government imposed a two-month ban on street rallies in the capital.

Khan's attorney Babar Awan said the party would appeal. The party has called for massive street demonstrations for Wednesday, threatening to lock down Islamabad in a bid to force Sharif to resign.

Sharif has been under pressure after his family members were named as holders of offshore bank accounts in leaked financial documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.

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Police have conducted raids based on tips and information about planned violence, said government spokesman Zaeem Qadri. Those who pledge not to take part in violent actions are released, while those considered a threat remain in custody pending charges, he said.

Two security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, said the number of those arrested overnight ranges between 1,500 and 1,800. Punjab provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah said 838 Khan supporters were arrested.

Police have already placed shipping containers on key highways leading to Islamabad to stop convoys of Khan supporters from reaching the capital.

The interior minister said Khan's followers had violent plans, which included the storming of government offices. </s> Pakistan's largest opposition party said on Tuesday that two of its supporters have died from police use of tear gas to prevent hundreds of supporters from entering the capital, Islamabad, for a planned protest demanding the prime minister step down.

"Two of our workers have been killed due to excessive use of expired tear-gas shells," said Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a senior leader of opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said on local Geo TV.

Local authorities could not immediately be reached to confirm any deaths.

Hundreds of supporters of the cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan clashed with police overnight trying to enter the capital for a planned citywide shutdown on Wednesday. </s> Pakistan opposition leader Imran Khan backed down from his threat to shut down the capital on Wednesday, vowing instead to hold a celebratory rally about a Supreme Court decision to pursue a case linked to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

"On the Supreme Court's advice, we have decided that tomorrow we will thank God and celebrate a Day of Thanks at (Islamabad's) parade ground," Khan told media on Tuesday, speaking outside his home in Islamabad.

The celebratory rally is a step back from his threat to paralyze the city and the government, and is likely to ease tension that has boiled over into violence in the days ahead of the planned protest in the capital. </s> Pakistan former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to 10 years in jail in Avenfield corruption case by an anti-corruption court on Friday while his daughter Maryam Sharif was sentenced to 7 years in the Avenfield corruption case. Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law Safdar was given a year sentence. The anti-corruption court has also imposed a fine of 8 million pounds on Nawaz Sharif while Maryam Sharif received a fine of two million pounds. Now, Maryam Sharif who is a Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader can’t contest elections.

Reacting to the court’s judgement, Punjab province Chief Minister and current president of PML(N) Shahbaz Sharif said that they will take all legal and constitutional routes to fight for justice. Nawaz Sharif has always fought bravely, he added.

Experts believe that it is a very significant political development as general elections in Pakistan will be held this month. It is a major setback for Nawaz Sharif’s party which is contesting the election on all parliamentary seats.

Further speaking on the matter, brother of convict Nawaz Sharif said that all PML(N) candidates are going to contest in upcoming elections and during their campaign, they will make people aware about the injustice that was done to us and our disappointment in the decision. </s> The ruling was applauded by PTI leader Imran Khan, who will instead hold a rally to thank the SC for its decision.

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing a case into the Panama papers leaks and offered to form a commission to investigate revelations that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's children had offshore accounts.

Following this, Pakistan's Opposition called off a planned "lockdown" of the capital.

Mr. Sharif has been under growing pressure from Opposition parties, mainly Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), which had vowed that one million supporters would shut down Islamabad on Wednesday as part of long-running efforts to force the government out of power.

Police have repeatedly clashed with protesters in recent days, detaining more than 1,000 PTI supporters from across the country since last week after imposing a ban on all public gatherings in Islamabad, which was later partly lifted by a court order.

"We are determined to resolve this issue. We will solve it and we will solve it as soon as possible. Now the highest forum in the country in regards to dispute resolution has taken up this matter, so now you hold your positions, please restrain," Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, one of the five judges hearing the case, told the court.

The ruling was applauded by Mr. Khan, who held a press conference at his home on the outskirts of Islamabad to declare victory.

"I am so happy that the Supreme Court has decided that from Thursday it will begin probing Nawaz Sharif," he said, surrounded by ecstatic supporters.

He added that his supporters would instead hold a rally thanking the Supreme Court for its decision.

The move brought an anti-climactic end to what observers believed could have become a protracted confrontation, similar to a four-month sit-in led by Mr. Khan in 2014.

Although Mr. Khan had repeatedly vowed to bring a million protesters to the capital, disruption was thus far limited to a few areas around the city and the Peshawar-Islamabad highway, where some 5,000 PTI supporters were blocked from entering the capital.

The planned protest also came at a sensitive time for Mr. Sharif, whose relationship with the all-powerful army is at a low following the publication of a media report, which said civilian officials had warned the military to stop backing jihadist fighters abroad.

The military has used the pretext of civil unrest to sweep in and replace elected governments three times in the country's history, and analysts had warned that Mr. Sharif may need to strike a deal with the Army to ensure his survival.
Over 1,500 supporters of opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf are arrested ahead of a planned protest in the capital Islamabad against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.