Imran Khan, the former Pakistani leader, charged under the Terrorism Act

“The manner in which Imran Khan delivered his speech and the threats he made led to fear and terror among the police, judiciary and the general public and harmed the peace of the country,” they wrote in the report.

Since Khan was ousted from power in April, he has done so Organized noisy gatherings criticism of the government. The former cricket star maintained his strong political base and Gained momentum in local elections. By contrast, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan, has made little progress in tackling the terrible economic crisis that has sent consumer prices skyrocketing.

Khan will have to “face the law to threaten and throw abuse at judges and police officers. These brazen acts of bullying are responsible for fomenting extremism in society,” Interior Minister Rana Sanalla chirp early on Monday.

Hours after news of the accusation spread, hundreds of Khan’s supporters gathered outside his residence in the capital, Islamabad, in an attempt to prevent his arrest.

“The arrest of Imran Khan is a ‘red line’ for us. If this line is crossed, it will lead to something very bad, not good for the people and the country,” said Murad Saeed, a senior official in the Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which Khan leads.

“We want to stay within the confines of the constitution, but the people are very upset and angry,” he said, warning that popular unrest could “destroy” the existing government.

As political tensions escalate, Pakistan launches media crackdown

Saeed and other party leaders invited thousands more to come to Islamabad and “protect their leader”.

He was the chief of staff of Khan, Shahbaz Gil Arrested earlier this month After he made comments on a talk show that the government deemed “anti-military”. Khan alleges that Gill was tortured while in prison, an allegation the government denies.

Khan and his party already Face partial media blocking. The authorities prevented the live broadcast of his speeches, and the news channel on which Gill made his remarks was banned. Two news anchors affiliated with the same channel fled the country after reports of government harassment.

Khan was removed from office in April after a vote of no confidence in parliament after repeated delays.

He came to power in 2018, promising to build a “new Pakistan” – an Islamic welfare state based on opportunity, justice and independence for the impoverished Muslim-majority nation of 220 million people.

But he has struggled to manage the economy amid rampant inflation and rising foreign debt. He also clashed with the country’s military leadership and lost political allies, who slowly gathered enough support to challenge him and accused him of nearly bankrupting Pakistan.

Khan is the first leader to be impeached by a vote held legally since the founding of Pakistan in 1947. The terms of previous prime ministers have been terminated either by a military coup or some other form of illegal interference.

Khan claimed that his overthrow was supported by the United States. He provided no evidence for this claim, and the State Department denied his involvement.