POLICE in Pakistan arrested several top leaders from imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan’s opposition party on Monday.

This came a day after clashes with the police, a mile from a protest calling for Mr Khan’s release.

Among the detainees, accused of inciting violence, was the president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Gohar Khan. 

Videos circulating online showed police taking the party leader out of his vehicle before whisking him away to a police station. 

The PTI said in a statement other top party officials were arrested in multiple ongoing raids, but did not disclose how many were detained.

There was no immediate comment from the police.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of supporters of the ex-prime minister, who was removed after losing a no-confidence vote in 2022, took to the streets in Sanjrani, a town on the outskirts of Islamabad. 

The mostly peaceful event witnessed violence after some clashed with the police on a highway, a mile from the town.

At Sanjrani, PTI party leaders addressed the protesters, threatening to forcefully free Mr Khan from prison if he is not released in the next two weeks. 

Authorities said charges will be brought against Ali Amin, the top elected official in the north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, for the two-week ultimatum and inciting people to violence.

His spokesman told a local news channel they had lost contact with him. It remained unclear if he was arrested or went into hiding.

Mr Khan faces numerous legal cases and has been in prison for nearly a year after being sentenced in a corruption case. Critics and his party say the cases are politically motivated.

The PTI posted on the X social media platform that Mr Khan said: “You have all broken the shackles of fear to stand up & fight.”