Imran Khan supporters still reeling from crackdown one year on

Hasan said he joined the protests “because I felt that what happened to Imran Khan was wrong… We were telling the police, ‘Today, you have crossed the red line’, he said.

“Many Pakistanis have an emotional connection with Khan Sahib,” he said, using a local term or respect. “He is like a brother, like a father, to us.”

Abrar, another supporter who took to the streets after Khan’s arrest, recalled that he left his house in Lahore “immediately” after seeing footage of Khan’s arrest last May, as he felt his “leader should not have been humiliated in this way”.

Khan is a cricketing icon in a country where the sport enjoys almost fanatical support. He brought glory to the country as captain when he led the national team to World Cup victory in 1992. Many Pakistanis have grown up idolising him.

But critics argue that Mr Khan had the backing of the army during his rise to power, an allegation both sides reject. The military has heavily influenced Pakistan for most of its existence and is a crucial behind-the-scenes player in the country’s politics.

He was elected PM in July 2018 but ousted in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence four years later. Shortly before general elections this February he was given several criminal convictions, barring him from standing. He is battling scores of legal cases, including charges for corruption and terrorism, but continues to be a powerful force dividing Pakistan.

During the February elections, his party, which had been denied its election symbol and a united platform, was forced to run candidates as independents, who then emerged as the single largest bloc in a shock result. However, they fell short of the majority needed to form a government.