Pakistan police use tear gas to disperse pre-election rally

In the southern city of Karachi, Pakistani police have used tear gas to scatter the followers of former prime minister Imran Khan. Khan was barred from standing in the national election due to a felony conviction, but the police operation takes place less than two weeks before the election. Twenty to thirty persons were arrested at the rally on Sunday.

Twelve members of Khan’s political party, according to the police, were arrested for fighting law enforcement and obstructing a road. Despite not being on the ballot for the election scheduled for February 8, Khan’s grassroots support keeps him a powerful political force. He claims that the lawsuits he was facing were a ploy to keep him out of the spotlight.

After fighting police and obstructing the road, twelve employees of Khan’s political party were taken into custody, according to the police.
Khan’s anti-establishment stance and grassroots following have made him a formidable political force even though he will not be on the ballot for the election on February 8. He claims that the lawsuits he was facing were a ploy to keep him out of the race before the election.
Senior police superintendent Sajid Siddozai claimed that rally organizers from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, party blocked the route without official permission. Siddozai affirmed that tear gas had been used.