UPDATE - Army called in amid tensions in Pakistan over ex-Premier Khan's arrest

UPDATES WITH ARMY DEPLOYMENT IN PUNJAB AND KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA PROVINCES, IMRAN KHAN'S APPEARANCE BEFORE COURT, CHANGES HEADER, DECK, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Islamuddin Sajid and Aamir Latif

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistani authorities on Wednesday ordered the deployment of the army in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces due to ongoing demonstrations against the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The federal Interior Ministry approved the provincial caretaker governments' requests for troops to maintain law and order situation.

The decision came after police held scores of opposition activists in an overnight crackdown across Pakistan following outrage and widespread protests over Khan's arrest on corruption charges Tuesday.

At least three people were killed in clashes between the protesting workers belonging to Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and police, according to officials.

Those held included Umar Sarfraz Cheema, former governor of the northeastern Punjab province, Asad Umar, PTI's secretary general, and several lawmakers and second-tier party leaders.

The PTI on Wednesday called for nationwide protests and a shutdown, but distanced itself from violence, calling upon the supporters to remain peaceful and gather outside police headquarters in Islamabad, where Khan has appeared before a judge.

While mobile internet and social media platforms remain restricted, schools were shut down in many parts of the country.

Earlier, PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the party had no information about Khan's whereabouts.

Khan's lawyer Faisal Chaudhry also told reporters that he had no contact with his client.

The former prime minister was arrested from the Islamabad High Court in one of the several dozen cases filed against him since his ouster last April. His party says the cases are politically motivated.

Since being removed from power after losing a vote of confidence, he has led a campaign for early elections, and accused the US, as well as the country's powerful military, of removing him from office.

Khan was arrested in connection with alleged corruption involving the Al Qadir University Trust.

It is alleged that the cricketer-turned-politician and his wife, Bushra Bibi, received billions of rupees and a large piece of costly land to build the educational institution in return for releasing an amount of £190 million ($239 million) to a property tycoon in 2020.

The amount was identified and returned to the country by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), following a settlement with real estate tycoon Malik Riaz in 2019.

The National Accountability Bureau, Pakistan's anti-corruption body, alleges that Khan’s PTI government struck a deal with Riaz that caused a loss of more than $239 million to the national exchequer, in a quid pro quid arrangement with the businessman.

Khan and his party leaders, however, deny the allegations.