Attack on the Corps Commander House, Lahore
On 9 May 2023, the Corps Commander House Lahore was attacked by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf protestors in response to the arrest of Imran Khan on the same day.
Background
In 2018, the PTI won the general election and formed the government in Pakistan. In 2022, the PTI government was ousted from power in a no-confidence motion. Imran Khan first held US responsible for derailment of his government but later he blamed military establishment for conspiring against him. This led to widespread protests and social media campaign by PTI supporters against the Pakistan Army and ISI.Incident
The incident was condemned by the government and the military. The PTI party was accused of inciting violence but denied getting involved. Khan and party leaders have urged for an independent judicial commission to investigate. However, several thousand PTI leaders and members were arrested in connection with the incident raising human rights concerns.Aftermath
Following the violence, the government started cracking down on PTI supporters. Several PTI leaders were arrested. Human Rights watchdogs as well as parliaments in various countries have expressed over the arrests and trial by military courts.Imran Khan's arrest and the following political uncertainty and human rights abuses had a negative impact on Pakistan's economy. The stock market crashed and the rupee lost value. Foreign investors also became wary of investing in Pakistan. Pakistan runs the risk of losing preferential treatment in trade as a result of government's crackdown on the opposition.
Many PTI leaders left the party under duress and condemned the 9 May violent attacks on Corps Commander House and demoralization of martyrs' memorials.