The court had declared the arrest illegal the day before, to the dismay of the government and the delight of Khan’s supporters. In the capital, sympathizers of the former head of government clashed again with the police on Friday.
Nearly 2,000 people have been arrested for violence since Khan was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of corruption. at least ten were also killed and dozens injured. Khan called on his supporters to end the violent protests on Thursday. Pakistanis can now use mobile internet again, which was restricted by order of the authorities.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has strongly criticized what he considers a biased judiciary and denounced the “extraordinary help” his political rival received in corruption cases. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah assured on Thursday that Khan would eventually be arrested again.
Khan became Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018, but had to leave more than a year ago after a vote of no confidence. The former cricketer has since argued for early elections and has also organized protests. New elections will be held in the country in the autumn.