ISLAMABAD: Ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was on Thursday because of a growing list of charges against him in a bid to avoid his arrest, which could risk a repeat of violent protests by his supporters.
The former cricket hero, who became prime minister in 2018 and has been embroiled in a clash with the powerful military, since he was ousted in a no-confidence vote last year.
The military has ruled or overseen civil governments throughout the history of a country in which political clashes are frequently fought in court.
Khan's arrest on corruption charges in May, which he denies, sparked protests by his supporters who ransacked military sites, raising new worries about the stability of the nuclear-armed nation of 220 million people as it grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades.
Khan was freed days later, but new charges against him have been piling up. On Wednesday, police identified him in connection with the murder of a lawyer seeking re-election of him.
Khan says he is facing nearly 150 cases and denies all of them.