Pakistani police storm the home of former Prime Minister Imran Khan

Police stormed the home of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Saturday looking for weapons. Supporters of the politician and former cricketer who was deposed in 2022 fired at the officers from the roof, the police said. Khan was not in the house at the time, but on his way to the capital Islamabad for a court hearing. At least 65 Khan supporters have been arrested, Punjab province police chief Usman Anwar said.

Police had obtained a search warrant from a local court after reports of guns inside the house, Punjab provincial information minister Amir Mir said. Khan, 70, had previously locked himself in the house for about a week to avoid arrest. There were clashes between the police, who wanted to enforce an arrest warrant, and supporters of the former prime minister.

Since his ouster, Pakistan’s judiciary has brought new charges against Khan. He now has to answer to court in more than 80 cases – including corruption, money laundering and insulting a judge. He repeatedly ignored requests to appear in court. He justified this by saying that there were threats against him.

In April 2022, Khan was ousted as Prime Minister by a vote of no confidence after nearly four years in office. The opposition accused him of mismanagement in the economy. In recent months, Khan has repeatedly called for mass protests and new elections in the country. He was shot in the leg by an assassin during a demonstration in November. (aeg/sda/dpa)