The party of famed cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan announced it has suspended talks with government following the arrest of anti-government protesters in the capital city of Islamabad, the Associated Press reported.
Activists said the arrests were an effort to crack down on weeks-long sit-ins in the capital, while the government said police only apprehended suspects in a recent attack on state-run TV.
‘We are suspending talks with the government over these arrests,’ party leader Jehanghir Tareen told repoeters, AP said he did not provide an exact number. Anti-government cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, who has been leading demonstrations in conjunction with Khan’s, said police had also detained his supporters, and that he too would be suspending talks over the arrests.