"Now, don’t make matters worse [and] call for an end to violent protests and declare that you will abide by the rule of law and Constitution. Accept that you were will engage with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as citizens and not as terrorists," Bhutto-Zardari said at a press conference, as quoted by the Pakistani newspaper Dawn.
The minister also called the reaction to Khan's arrest "completely unjustified," adding that the country's authorities will make all those responsible for violence "give answers."
On Tuesday, Khan was taken into custody following a hearing of the Islamabad High Court in connection with corruption involving the Al-Qadir Trust, which is headed by him and his wife. Khan is facing an inquiry in a case related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of 50 billion Pakistani rupees ($17.6 million) to the national exchequer.
Following the arrest of Khan, PTI called on the citizens of Pakistan to gather for mass demonstrations to demand the politician's release. Mass protests erupted across the country, with activists setting police vehicles on fire and damaging government property, and the police using gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Pakistani media reported that at least 8 people were killed and over 290 injured as a result of the protests. Over 1,900 demonstrators were detained following clashes with law enforcement.