Pakistan's opposition party calls off protest, urges court to trace missing provincial chief minister

Pakistan's main opposition party moved to court on Sunday to locate the chief minister of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, who has been missing since Saturday night following clashes between protesters and police in the capital Islamabad.

According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Ali Amin Gandapur has not been in contact with officials or his family since Saturday.

Although the government has not officially confirmed or denied Gandapur's arrest, state-run Pakistan Television cited unnamed security officials as rejecting reports of the chief minister's arrest.

The PTI accused the security forces of kidnapping Gandapur, while Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters that the chief minister had gone underground to create a situation.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqavi told reporters in Islamabad on Sunday that the chief minister is not in the custody of the police or any other government agencies.

Naqvi claimed that Gandapur was involved in the violence and has fled. "Whenever we know about his whereabouts, police will take action as per law," he told reporters.

Abuzar Salman Niazi, a lawyer for the PTI, said in a post on X that a petition has been filed in the Peshawar High Court seeking "recovery" of the flamboyant chief minister.

The petition will "soon" be heard by the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court.

Since Saturday morning, one police officer has been killed and hundreds of others have been injured, including more than 100 police officers, during day-long clashes between protesters and law enforcement amid the government suspending internet and mobile phone services, as well as blocking major roads leading to the capital, to quell the protests.

A police officer who was injured in a clash on Saturday died from his injuries on Sunday, police said. His funeral was held near Parliament House and was attended by the interior minister and other senior officials.

Nearly 800 protesters have been arrested on the charge of violence and damaging public and private property, police said.

The PTI has called for nationwide protests against proposed constitutional amendments, which many believe are aimed at limiting the power of the top judiciary and extending the tenure of top government officials, including the current Chief Justice of Pakistan.

In a late-night development, the PTI announced that it is calling off its protest in the capital, bringing life to normal with the restoration of internet and mobile phone services and the reopening of blocked roads.

The party, however, said its protest call for northeastern Lahore city is still there.

The government has deployed the army to ensure the security of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Islamabad, which is scheduled for October 15-16.

The Punjab government also requested assistance from the army in maintaining law and order in the province's capital of Lahore.

The PTI demands the release of the imprisoned former prime minister, as well as "independence of the judiciary" and constitutional protection.

Khan, 72, is currently jailed in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, seeking bail in multiple cases ranging from corruption to terrorism, which he denies. Courts have already set aside two of his convictions and suspended a third.

The former cricket star was ousted from power through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.