Imran Khan may be arrested soon and clashes break out between supporters and police

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, is facing imminent arrest after an Islamabad court suspended a non-bailable arrest warrant against him for threatening a woman magistrate while addressing a public gathering. The police have arrived at Khan's residence in Lahore to arrest him, with armoured vehicles stationed outside. Despite this, Khan has released a video message urging his supporters to continue fighting against the government, even if he is "sent to jail or killed".

Clashes have been reported between PTI workers and the police, with injuries on both sides. Khan is scheduled to lead a "historic" public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore on March 19, as part of his party's ongoing election campaign. The current political upheaval in Pakistan comes at a time of economic strain, with the country seeking help from the US to secure "lenient treatment" from the IMF.

Pakistan has been shrouded by political unrest since the time Imran Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, and was replaced by Shehbaz Sharif. However, economic woes too continue to plague the country which has decided to seek help from the US to secure “lenient treatment” from the IMF, amid a delay in signing the staff-level agreement with the global lender. Pakistan is awaiting a much-needed $1.1 billion tranche of funding from the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The situation is tense in Lahore, with PTI workers gathering outside Khan's residence in protest. With the PTI issuing a call to workers to gather peacefully, the police have been using water cannons to disperse the crowds, and there have been reports of injuries. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold, and whether Khan will be arrested or not.