Protesters storm the Supreme Court building after the release of Imran Khan

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan arrives amid fierce defense of supporters after an assassination attempt last year. Credit: ARIF ALI/AFP Imran Khan's security forces surrounded his car as he left the court. Photo: AFP/MURTAZA SYED

After his initial arrest, Mr. Khan was released on technical grounds by Supreme Court judges, angering the authorities. In response to the court ruling, hundreds of protesters, backed by the ruling government and the military, gathered outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad on Monday.

Protesters from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) broke into the high security red zone, apparently to threaten the judges. Joining the protesters was Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the ruling party's chief organizer and daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

In a televised statement Monday, Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif accused the Supreme Court of complicity with Mr Khan. He suggested that the court «consider the behavior of the chief judge» and initiate a criminal case against him.

On Monday, Khan said on Twitter that the sit-in was staged to remove the chief justice. The protest is a sign of escalating tensions between the judiciary and the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan.

Protesters outside the Supreme Court Pakistan in Islamabad on Monday. Photo: AMIR QURESHI/AFP

Sharif's party and supporters are also outraged that the Supreme Court is pushing for regional elections to be held on May 14. Mr. Khan's popularity among voters has alarmed the ruling government and the military as they fear his party could win elections in Punjab, Pakistan's largest province, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Khan claims that Pakistan's war plans to imprison him for the next 10 years on charges of sedition and ban his political party. However, he vowed to fight for «real freedom». to the last drop of blood and prefers death to enslavement.

His arrest last week sparked protests and his furious supporters gathered in major cities and military installations across the country in an unprecedented show of defiance against the mighty military.

Tensions in Pakistan were already high after the Khan has identified a high-ranking officer in the dangerous military spy ring of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as being behind the attempt on his life. Mr Khan is in a bitter feud with the military, who he claims oversaw his ouster in a no-confidence vote in 2022.

Pro-government protests against Supreme Court decision in Islamabad Photo: AFP/AAMIR QURESHI

The military has ruled Pakistan for almost half of its history, and although many believe they are pulling strings in political affairs, discussing this influence in public has long been considered taboo.

Nearly 7,000 Khan supporters were arrested in a nationwide crackdown on demonstrators who attacked military installations. Police and intelligence agencies are accused of torturing Khan's employees, including women.

Mr Khan returned to the Lahore High Court on Monday, where his lawyers said they were seeking information about new cases linking him to violence, that followed his arrest. The case will continue on Tuesday.

Mr. Khan was accompanied by his wife, Bushra Bibi, who is implicated in the same corruption case that led to the former leader's arrest.

Mr. Khan's team installed a white curtain between his car and the courtroom to shield the couple from the media.