<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges a day after his arrest sparked nationwide protests.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eight people have died nationwide in the protests and about 1,000 have been arrested, police say.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The army is being deployed in some areas, and has issued a stern warning after crowds attacked its properties.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr Khan's arrest dramatically escalated tensions between Mr Khan and the military at a time of economic crisis.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Conviction would disqualify the former cricket star - prime minister from 2018 to 2022 - from standing for office, possibly for life. Elections are due later this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dramatic footage showed dozens of security officers forcibly removing the 70-year-old from court on Tuesday, then bundling him into a police vehicle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is tight security at the police guesthouse where he is being detained, which is also serving as a courtroom.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Wednesday Mr Khan was indicted on charges that he unlawfully sold state gifts during his premiership, in a case brought by the Election Commission.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He denies the allegations and says he fulfilled all legal requirements.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was the first of dozens of cases against him in which he has been formally charged.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For months he had avoided arrest, with his supporters at times fighting pitched battles with police to keep him out of custody.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tuesday's arrest was based on a new warrant for a separate corruption case, connected to the alleged transfer of land for Al-Qadir University, near Islamabad. The judge remanded Mr Khan in custody for eight days in this case.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of his lawyers, Sher Afzal Marwat, said his client was faring well and relayed a message to supporters not to give up: "You have to stand your ground for Rule of Law," Mr Khan said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said it would challenge the legality of his arrest in court.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The action by Pakistan's anti-corruption body has led to violent protests across the country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The government has called the army in to maintain order in several regions of the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Balochistan, and Islamabad.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a televised address to the nation, Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, warned that violent protests would not be tolerated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The perpetrators who take the law into their own hands will be dealt with with an iron hand," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Extraordinary scenes on Tuesday evening showed Mr Khan's supporters ransacking the corps commander's residence in Lahore, smashing chandeliers and making away with peacocks - among other things - which they said were bought with "citizen's money".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pakistan's army described 9 May as a "dark day" and warned protesters of an "extreme reaction" if properties of the state were attacked again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Police in Islamabad used shipping containers to try to block routes to the compound where Imran Khan was appearing before a judge.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The BBC witnessed clashes between protesters and the police in the middle of one of Islamabad's main motorways.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Protesters began gathering after midday, some carrying with them PTI flags or wearing Imran Khan face masks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Canisters of tear gas were fired into the crowd soon after they began to gather. The protesters attempted to hit the metal casings away using their sticks. There were no arrests during the 90 minutes the BBC were present. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>