Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s occasion scuffle with riot cops exterior Khan’s residence, in Lahore, Pakistan, on Tuesday.

Ok.M. Chaudary/AP

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Ok.M. Chaudary/AP

Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s occasion scuffle with riot cops exterior Khan’s residence, in Lahore, Pakistan, on Tuesday.

Ok.M. Chaudary/AP

LAHORE, Pakistan — Pakistani police scuffled with supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday as officers arrived exterior his house to arrest him for failing to seem in courtroom on graft prices, police and officers mentioned.

The police operation triggered clashes between Khan’s supporters and police within the nation’s main cities.

Police within the japanese metropolis of Lahore deliberate to serve Khan with a warrant to seem in courtroom later this week. They fired tear fuel on the home because the 71-year-old opposition chief’s supporters hurled rocks and bricks on the officers.

After 10 hours of clashes, police had been no nearer to arresting Khan and officers moved again at midnight because the variety of Khan’s supporters grew.

About a dozen police and a few 35 of Khan’s supporters had been reported injured. Tear fuel shells and items of bricks littered the pavement as Khan’s followers fought again with batons they’d introduced to withstand police.

Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament final April, was ordered to seem earlier than a decide in Islamabad on Friday to reply prices of illegally promoting state presents he had acquired throughout his time period as premier and concealing his belongings.

The former premier has averted appearances earlier than the courtroom since November when he was wounded in a gun assault at a protest rally within the japanese Punjab province, claiming he was not medically match to journey from Lahore to Islamabad to face indictment.

Last week, he went to Islamabad to seem earlier than three courts, however he failed to seem earlier than the fourth courtroom to face indictment within the graft case, which is a authorized course of for beginning his trial.

Khan has claimed that the string of circumstances in opposition to him, which incorporates terrorism prices, are a plot by the federal government of his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, to discredit the previous cricket star turned Islamist politician.

On Tuesday, Sharif instructed Pakistan’s Geo tv that Khan’s arrest was ordered by a courtroom, and it was not a political victimization.

“We will arrest him, and will do it on a court order,” Shahzad Bukhari, deputy-inspector normal of Islamabad police, instructed reporters earlier in Lahore. Bukhari was later additionally frivolously injured within the violence and acquired first support from police medics on the scene.

However, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a high chief from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf occasion, mentioned the federal government was attempting to disrupt regulation and order by sending police to Khan’s home.

“We are ready to find a middle way through talks with police, but we should know what the purpose of today’s police raid is,” he mentioned. “Don’t worsen the situation. Let us sit and discuss what you want,” Qureshi requested the police. He mentioned Khan may contemplate voluntarily providing his arrest, “but let us talk first.”

Fawad Chaudhry, one other senior occasion chief, mentioned Khan’s authorized staff was within the means of submitting a request to the Islamabad High Court to have warrants in opposition to Khan suspended. Khan’s attorneys had been additionally legally difficult the warrants earlier than one other Islamabad courtroom later Tuesday.

From inside his house, Khan urged his followers to battle on even when he’s arrested in a message on Twitter. “They think this nation will fall asleep when Imran Khan is jailed,” he mentioned. “You need to prove them wrong.”

Police mentioned reinforcements had been on their approach to Khan’s home to convey the scenario beneath management.

TV footage confirmed tear fuel shells falling inside Khan’s home.

Angered over the anticipated arrest of Khan, his supporters took to the streets throughout Pakistan, blocking some key roads close to Islamabad whereas asking the federal government to chorus from arresting Khan.

“We will arrest this man on the court order and he ran away to avoid arrest,” mentioned Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, who shouldn’t be associated to the previous premier. He mentioned Khan will probably be produced earlier than the courtroom.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sharif’s authorities made modifications accepted by the Cabinet to make clear legal guidelines banning officers from conserving worthwhile state presents acquired whereas in workplace. The ban clarifies that no official — together with the nation’s prime minister, figurehead president and Cabinet ministers — can hold a present that exceeds $300 in worth.

The ban says any recipient should deposit such a present with the state repository, often known as Toshakhana within the Urdu language, inside a month of receiving it. The presents would to any extent further be perceived as state property, it added.

Impoverished Pakistan has been embroiled in a deepening financial disaster and is attempting to barter a desperately wanted bailout from the International Monetary Fund to keep away from a default.

Until his ouster, Khan’s authorities had blocked the discharge of any details about presents officers acquired from visiting dignitaries. In the previous, officers receiving a present — no matter its worth — would symbolically reimburse state coffers with a small quantity and hold the present.

In a significant U-turn, Sharif’s authorities on Monday publicized an inventory of presents given to officers from previous administrations, itemizing every merchandise’s worth and the minor quantities paid by the recipients since 2002.