Imran's party abandoned politics to join 'tribe of terrorists': Pak min

Pakistan's Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has slammed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for attacking parliament, the country's military and PTV over the arrest of former PM Imran Khan and said that PTI has removed itself from the "tribe of politics" and joined in the "tribe of terrorists."

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Ahsan Iqbal wrote, "PTI today in Pakistan has removed itself from the tribe of politics and joined it in the tribe of terrorists. Made the enemies of Pakistan happy. First the attack on PTV, then the attack on the parliament and now the attack on the military organization and what is called terrorism? Foreign funding does not come for free."

Ahsan Iqbal's statement comes after protests erupted across Pakistan after PTI chairman Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday. PTI workers held protests in cities across the country, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, and Mardan, reported Geo News.

Protesters clashed with the police near Nursery in Karachi. They pelted stones at police vehicles and tore down street lights. There were reports that police fired teargas shells at the protesters.

PTI supporters chanted slogans "Release Imran Khan," and "Shut down Pakistan," in the streets of Lahore, Faizabad, Bannu, and Peshawar. One Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker was killed and six others were injured on Tuesday in a firing incident at a protest rally in Quetta, The Express Tribune reported.

Supporters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan blocked the main Quetta Airport Road to protest against his arrest. A firing incident took place in the PTI rally, The Express Tribune reported citing a senior police officer who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Imran Khan was arrested outside Islamabad High Court by Rangers on the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) warrant in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had started an investigation against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and others for the alleged gain of hundreds of canals of land in the name of Al Qadir University Trust, which reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.

According to the charges, Imran Khan and other accused allegedly adjusted Rupees 50 billion - 190 million pounds at the time sent by Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) to the government, Geo News reported. The cricketer-turned-politician registered Trust for Al-Qadir University Project on Dec 26, 2019.

Meanwhile, Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday termed former Pakistan PM Imran Khan's arrest "legal," Geo News reported. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, who had raised questions over the Rangers' move to arrest Imran Khan from the court's premises on Tuesday announced the reserved verdict.