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Pakistan’s ex-prime minister Imran Khan leads rally, ignores arrest warrants

PAKISTAN’S former prime minister Imran Khan rallied thousands of supporters in Lahore today, even as two more warrants for his arrest were issued over his failure to appear before judges in corruption and terrorism cases.

Supporters threw rose petals at the convoy carrying Mr Khan to the rally, which drew more than 5,000 people.

Since his removal from office by a parliamentary no-confidence vote last April, he has routinely ignored arrest warrants and court summons in a string of cases against him, claiming that they are part of a plot by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to discredit him.

The former cricket star turned politician has claimed that his ousting was illegal and stemmed from a conspiracy by Mr Sharif and the United States, which have denied the allegations.

Mr Khan’s critics say his flaunting of the courts is a manoeuvre to delay trial on charges including terrorism and corruption.

The latest warrants request that he be brought in for hearings due on Saturday and March 29.

Mr Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party alleged that authorities have registered 80 “fake cases” against him order to politically victimise the former premier, whose life is being threatened.

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