Pakistan court halts operation to arrest Imran Khan

The Lahore High Court has ordered the immediate halt of a two-day operation to arrest former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan until Thursday morning. Security forces had attempted to take the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party into custody on Tuesday afternoon after an Islamabad court issued an arrest warrant to ensure his attendance in court by 18 March. Khan has repeatedly skipped hearings in a case related to selling state gifts. However, they were confronted by hundreds of Khan’s supporters who gathered outside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore and tried to prevent the arrest. Dozens of injuries were reported as security forces fired tear gas and water cannon and Khan’s supporters threw stones. The PTI had also petitioned the Islamabad High Court, seeking the cancellation of the non-bailable arrest warrant. The court dismissed the plea, asking Khan to submit an undertaking to a lower court that he would appear before it on 18 March.