Pakistan ex-PM Khan defies arrest as supporters clash with police

Supporters of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan clashed repeatedly with police as he remained holed up in his Lahore residence Wednesday, defying attempts to arrest him.

Khan was ousted from office by a no-confidence vote last year, and has been snarled in a series of legal cases as he campaigns for early elections and a return to office.

Police and paramilitary rangers fought pitched battles with supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party near his Zaman Park home throughout the night, firing fusillades of teargas and dodging rocks thrown by angry crowds.

Lahore police spokesman Syed Mubashir said more than 35 policemen had been injured since the operation began.

Khan issued a video shortly before dawn, sitting in front of Pakistan and PTI flags at a desk decorated with spent teargas canisters.

"They're going to come again," he said.

"They will teargas our people and do other such things, but you should know that they have no justification to do so."

On Wednesday morning hundreds of PTI supporters had ringed Khan's residence in the plush neighbourhood, holding off at least one fresh attempt by police to storm the premises.

Video circulating on social media -- much distributed by official PTI accounts -- showed several bloodied supporters and others struggling to cope with tear gas.

A PTI official tweeted that there was "an urgent need" for first aid kits at the Zaman Park neighbourhood.

A party account also showed video of teargas canisters landing inside Khan's garden, but police did not appear to breach the gate or the wall.

It is the second time in recent weeks that police have been sent from the capital Islamabad to Khan's home in the eastern city of Lahore to serve an arrest warrant after he skipped several court dates linked to a corruption case citing security concerns.