He government of pakistan has authorized the deployment of the Army in the eastern province of Punjabthe most populated in the country, to take the control of the region submerged in the chaos behind the arrest of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan, accused of corruption, one of the most popular figures in the country. Khan appeared on Wednesday before the judge who imposed eight days in pretrial detention.
He Pakistani federal government “authorizes the deployment of troops by the Pakistan Army to maintain public order situations throughout the Punjab province in aid of the civil power,” the order issued today said. The text states that “the Army will be working together with the district administration to restore law, order and peace”, although it does not specify the number of troops.
The province of Punjabof which Lahore is the capital, has experienced intense scenes of violence since Khan’s arrest, carried out yesterday by a paramilitary force in Islamabad.
According to the Punjab Police, in a balance published by Pakistani media, so far there have been 945 arrests and more than 130 police officers have been injured since the protests broke out.
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People have been detained for their alleged participation in actions of vandalism, violence and attacks to official headquarters throughout the province, according to the spokesman, who listed damage to 25 police vehicles and 14 government buildings, according to local police data. “Those involved in acts of violence, vandalism, damage to public and private property throughout the province have been arrested,” he said in a statement.
The services of Internet mobile throughout the country will remain suspended for an indefinite period and several localities have reported problems in access to platforms of Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. Exceptional measures have been imposed in the capital and in Punjab allowing the authorities to ban activities that pose a security threat.