On Wednesday, the Pakistani police changed the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan , who confirmed that it was a political conspiracy, after violent clashes with hundreds of his supporters at night.

AFP correspondents and eyewitnesses who were near Khan's house in the posh Zaman Park suburb of Lahore said that security forces had been trying for hours to arrest the former prime minister before withdrawing after clearing roadblocks and checkpoints.

And issued by the Lahore High Court an order seen by AFP asked the police Wednesday to "end the process immediately and withdraw" pending the outcome of the hearing in Islamabad on the arrest warrant against Khan.

Khan's party, Tehreek-e-Insaf, wrote on its Twitter account, "The people confronted the police forces and guards who were sent to harm Imran Khan."

On the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, clashes broke out between Khan's supporters who came to arrest him and the police who fired tear gas and were stoned by the angry crowd.

Khan was overthrown in April 2022 under a no-confidence warrant and has since faced several legal measures. He is still very popular and hopes to return to power in the legislative elections scheduled for October.

"The reason (for this measure) is not because I have broken a law. They want me in jail so that I cannot participate in the elections," Khan told AFP.

"This arrest by force has nothing to do with the rule of law," the former prime minister said, denouncing the "law of the jungle."

It is the second time this month that the police have been sent to his home to carry out an arrest warrant.

The former prime minister has escaped several warrants to appear in court, citing security concerns. His lawyers say he was released on bail.

"The party leader has not been released on bail in this particular case," Islamabad police spokesman Muhammad Taqi Jawad told AFP.

Khan's legal team has been asked to approach a lower court to request the suspension of the arrest warrant against their client. The defense team also has to pledge that Khan will appear in person at Saturday's hearing.

Imran Khan, 70, has been summoned to court on charges of not making public all the diplomatic gifts he received during his tenure and making money by reselling some of them.

In the morning, videos circulating on social media - largely posted by Khan's party - showed several bloodied supporters and others scrambling to avoid tear gas.

A party official tweeted that there was an "urgent need" for first aid kits.

"The way the police are attacking our people is unprecedented," Dan Khan said. "It is clear that the arrest request was nothing more than a play, because the real goal is kidnapping and killing," he said.

Since his overthrow, Imran Khan has been putting pressure on the government of his successor, Shehbaz Sharif, by ramping up large gatherings. He also dissolved the two regional councils controlled by his party in an attempt to hold early elections, which the government rejects.

Sharif told reporters Wednesday that Khan considers himself "above the law". "It defies all the courts of the country. It is pure provocation," he said.

In November, Khan was shot in the leg during a political rally and said that what he was subjected to was an assassination attempt, which was behind Shahbaz Sharif.

These events are taking place in a tense atmosphere: the country of more than 220 million people is facing serious economic difficulties with accelerating inflation, insufficient foreign currency reserves and stalemate in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

The security situation is also deteriorating with a series of bloody attacks targeting police forces attributed to the Pakistani Taliban.

"The Lahore crisis is evidence of the deterioration of conditions in the country," said political analyst and human rights activist Tawsif Ahmed Khan.

"On the one hand, it is a failure of the security forces and police. On the other hand, it is a new trend in South Asian politics: a political leader defying arrest using his aides and supporters," he added.