Imran Khan's 'freedom' protest call fails to rally crowds. Underwhelming support in streets of Pakistan

Responding to a call by Pakistan's ex-prime ministerImran Khan for a nationwide "freedom" protest on Sunday (May 14), his supporters took to the streets across the country. However, the protests as per AFP largely failed to materialise in his home city Lahore.

Talking to AFP, 48-year-old Lahore housewife Aisha, a supporter of the cricketer-turned-politician said"I was ashamed to see that no one came out in our neighbourhood, so I came out here to a main road to be seen."

"We just want the country's betterment," she added.

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Speaking to his supporters through a broadcast on YouTube on Saturday night, the leader who this week was briefly arrested and detained, had called for the protest on Sunday evening for one hour, starting at 5:30 pm (1230 GMT).

"Freedom does not come easily. You have to snatch it. You have to sacrifice for it," said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman.

Take a look at some videos, photos of the 'freedom' protest:

Speaking from his residence in Lahore, Khan hadurged his supporters to hold protests "at the end of your streets and villages" across the country on Sunday evening for one hour starting at 5:30 pm (1230 GMT).

Blaming the Pakistan army chief for the negative reputation of the military, he said, "the army chief's actions have made our military bad. It is because of him, not because of me."

However, as per AFP, it is unclear who Khan was referring to, the current army chief General Asim Munir or his predecessor General Qamar Javed Bajwa, whom he holds responsible for his removal from the post of PM.

Since being ousted from power in April last year, the former cricketer has been tied up in numerous legal cases.

On Tuesday (May 9), he was arrested from outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) just hours after he was rebuked by the army for claiming that senior officials were involved in an assassination attempt against him last year.

Three days later, on Friday, the Pakistan Supreme Court declared detention "unlawful" and he was subsequently released on bail.

Furious at his arrest, Imran Khan's supporters set government buildings on fire, blocked roads, and even damaged military property since they held the military responsible for Khan's removal from power.

Khan previously told reporters that "one man, the army chief" was behind his arrest.

Police and hospitals have confirmed that at least nine people died during the unrest last week, with hundreds of police officers injured and more than 4,000 people detained, mainly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

As per an AFP report citing one of Khan's lawyers, since the protests started, at least 10 senior leaders of the PTI party have been arrested.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday warned that those guilty of "facilitating, abetting and perpetrating" the violence must be arrested within 72 hours. During his visit to Lahore, he said that "anti-state behaviour" demonstrators will be arrested and tried in anti-terrorist courts.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has repeatedly vowed that the police will re-arrest Khan, who remains highly popular before the upcoming elections scheduled in October. However, the Islamabad High Court has ruled that Khan should be protected from arrest until Monday.

(With inputs from agencies)

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