PAKISTAN’S Supreme Court has ordered the release of former prime minister Imran Khan, two days after his arrest sparked widespread violence across the country.

Supreme Court chief justice Umar Ata Bandial also asked Mr Khan to issue an appeal to his supporters to remain peaceful, as the country faced growing turmoil in its streets.

After briefly hearing a petition from Mr Khan’s lawyer, the Supreme Court expressed displeasure today over the manner in which Mr Khan was arrested and ordered authorities to present him before it in an hour.

Mr Khan’s lawyer had sought his release, arguing that the arrest was illegal.

As police took Mr Khan to the Supreme Court amid tight security, the government demanded he remain in custody.

”It would be unfair if you give any reprieve to him,” Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb told a news conference, saying it would give a “licence to kill to everyone” if Mr Khan was freed.

Supporters of the cricketer turned politician were seen dancing near the court building to celebrate the order to release the former prime minister.

But earlier on Thursday police filed new terrorism charges against Khan and top leaders from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on charges of inciting mobs to violence.

After Mr Khan’s detention, Pakistani authorities had staged a brutal crackdown against the former PM’s supporters.

Hundreds were detained in overnight raids and troops had been deployed across the country to rein in the wave of violence that followed his arrest earlier this week.

Clashes with police since Mr Khan’s dramatic arrest on Tuesday have left at least 10 of his supporters dead and dozens injured, along with more than 200 policemen injured. 

Demonstrators burned down a railway station on the outskirts of the capital, Islamabad and set fire to a police car and blocked a train near Lahore.

Police said on Thursday that 2,300 of Mr Khan’s supporters had been arrested since Tuesday.

The arrests followed mob attacks on government and military buildings, with protesters torching trucks, cars and police vehicles in the streets and blocking highways. 

In another incident a mob set fire to the sprawling residence of a top army commander in Lahore.

Mr Khan was dragged from a courtroom in Islamabad where he showed up to face corruption charges on Tuesday. 

He has been held at a police compound in Islamabad where, at a temporary court, a judge on Wednesday ordered the 70-year-old opposition leader detained for at least another eight days.