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Black smoke billows from a street installation set alight during a protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party activists and supporters of former Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran against the arrest of their leader, in Peshawar on May 9, 2023. Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, police said, during a court appearance for one of dozens of cases pending since he was booted from office last year. (Photo by Abdul MAJEED / AFP) (Photo by ABDUL MAJEED/AFP via Getty Images)
Imran inside

Imran inside

Black smoke billows from a street installation set alight during a protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party activists and supporters of former Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran against the arrest of their leader, in Peshawar on May 9, 2023. Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, police said, during a court appearance for one of dozens of cases pending since he was booted from office last year. (Photo by Abdul MAJEED / AFP) (Photo by ABDUL MAJEED/AFP via Getty Images)

Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested yesterday after paramilitary troops stormed into a high court hearing in Islamabad. Videos show the former cricket star waiting calmly in dark shades as a mob of riot police smashed windows to get to him. Over the last year, Khan has run a populist campaign against military and intelligence services who dominate politics. He survived an assassination attempt in November. He has been playing a game of cat and mouse with the police for months. They’ve tried to arrest him on corruption charges before but have always been thwarted by crowds of supporters. As the news spread yesterday, protestors made unprecedented attacks against the symbols of the military, including looting a top officer’s palatial home in Lahore. The army will not take this lightly.

Photographs Betsy Joles/Bloomberg, Abdul Majeed/AFP via Getty Images