Pakistani police use water cannon, tear gas on Khan rally

Pakistani police used water cannons and fired tear gas to disperse supporters of the country’s former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday in the eastern city of Lahore. Two dozen Khan supporters were arrested for defying a government ban on holding rallies, police said.

The developments followed Khan’s launching of provincial election campaigns on Tuesday for eastern Punjab and northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, where the ex-premier's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has held a majority in past rounds of voting.

Khan, now opposition leader, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament last April. He has claimed his removal was illegal and has also campaigned for early parliamentary elections. The government of his successor, Shehbaz Sharif, has dismissed Khan's demands, saying the nationwide vote will take place as scheduled later in the year.

A senior leader from Khan's party, Hammad Azhar, said police detained scores of their supporters ahead of the planned rally, which was to start in Lahore's upscale Zaman Park area where Khan lives.

Police also swung batons and briefly fired tear gas on the road leading to Khan’s house to disperse his supporters. TV footage showed at least one large truck spraying water, scattering protesters.

Khan has been living in Lahore since November when he was shot in the leg by a gunman during a protest rally. Since then, he has only once travelled to Islamabad — last week — for court appearances in other cases against him.