Traders shout anti-France slogans as they walk through a closed market on April 19, 2021. Pakistan's government is expected to ask parliament to vote on whether to expel the French ambassador, in a move widely seen as a bid to appease the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan party.

Supporters of the TLP throw stones towards police firing tear gas to disperse them, at a protest in Lahore on Monday, April 12. TLP supporters have been protesting the arrest of their leader, Saad Rizvi, after he called for protests to push the government to expel France's ambassador over depictions of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

People attend the funeral of a supporter of the banned TLP, who was killed during a protest in Lahore. The government has banned the Islamist party, which is known for instigating disruptive street protests in response to what it deems to be violations of the blasphemy law. The ban was implemented after multiple police officers were killed and over 100 people injured.

TLP supporters chant slogans in Lahore on April 19. The group has been protesting since French President Emmanuel Macron defended the right of the press to republish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Police in Lahore said at least six officers were killed, while 11 others were held hostage for several hours at a mosque. The TLP says several of its supporters also died in clashes.

A hawker on a bicycle rides by a closed wholesale cloth market during a nationwide strike called for by the TLP, in Karachi, on April 19. Many powerful clerics in the country voiced their support for the strike, which saw markets and public transport closed in Karachi, and internet services suspended in Lahore.

A TLP supporter hurls stones towards police in Lahore, on April 13. Last week, the French embassy advised its citizens to temporarily leave the country. The hashtag #FrenchLeavePakistan" was trending with tens of thousands of tweets last week, as anti-French sentiment continued to brew over the contentious cartoon, published in 'Charlie Hebdo.'

Protesters display a pile of used teargas canisters which, according to them, were fired by the police. Although the government banned the TLP, its campaign continues to find support even among mainstream religious groups. The TLP had, however, agreed to "call off its protest sit-ins from the entire country" after long negotiations, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said.

Protesters receive medical aid at a mosque in Lahore. Prime Minister Imran Khan's government has been heavily criticized for mishandling the protests and not acting swiftly against violent protesters. Protesters are also calling for a boycott of French products, and for the release of 26-year-old leader Saad Rizvi.

Imran Khan was born in Lahore in 1952, the son of a civil engineer. Khan grew up with his four sisters in a relatively affluent part of the city. He received a privileged education, first in his hometown and then in Worcester, England. It was there that Khan's love and talent for the game of cricket became evident. In 1972, he enrolled at Oxford University to study politics and economics.

Khan played cricket throughout his time in England and after returning to his native Pakistan in 1976, he quickly became a regular in the national team. By 1982, he was awarded the captain's armband. Khan enjoyed an illustrious career and was regarded by many as one of the best all-rounders in the world.

The ultimate high point of Khan's sporting career saw him captain Pakistan to the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Melbourne, Australia. As if his popularity couldn't get any bigger back home, Khan even took the winning wicket in the final against England.

Khan enjoyed hedonistic bachelor life and was a regular fixture on London's nightlife scene. However, in 1995, at age 42, he finally tied the knot to 21-year-old Jemima Goldsmith. During their nine-year marriage, the famous couple provided plenty of fodder for the British and Pakistani tabloids. Despite separating in 2004, Goldsmith has remained a vocal supporter of Khan's politics.

Khan wasted little time after retiring from cricket in 1994. Just two years later he entered Pakistani politics and founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. However, his popularity was slow to carry over from cricket into politics. In the 1997 general elections, his PTI party failed to win a single seat.

Khan remained active in politics over the next decades. In 1999, he supported General Pervez Musharraf's military coup, only to later turn against Musharraf ahead of the 2007 presidential election. Khan was subsequently placed under house arrest and even spent a few days in prison. However, his supporter base continued to grow, and by 2013 he became a key candidate in the general elections.

The PTI made substantial gains in the 2013 election, claiming 30 parliamentary seats and finishing second behind the Pakistan Muslim League. The party became the main opposition in the key provinces of Punjab and Sindh. However, its greatest feat was winning its first province in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Khan has often been the butt of jokes for his pacifist stance towards terrorism in the region. He earned the moniker "Taliban Khan" for claiming that the only way to achieve peace with the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan was through negotiation. Khan was also a vocal critic of US drones strikes on Pakistan and has promised to disengage Pakistan from America's conflicts in the Middle East.

Since his divorce from Goldsmith in 2004, Khan has remarried twice. In January 2015, Khan announced his marriage to British-Pakistani journalist Reham Khanm although just 10 months later the couple said they were filing for divorce. In February 2018, Khan married his third wife, Bushra Manika (pictured front row, second from the left), whom he describes as his spiritual adviser.

By 2018, Khan's PTI were among the favorites going into the general election. Campaigning on a populist platform, Khan pledged to break away from Pakistan's corrupt legacy. His plans include a poverty reduction program similar to that seen in China. This would see the establishment of an "Islamic welfare state," the creation of 10 million jobs and construction of 5 million homes for the poor.

Khan completed his journey from all-star cricketer to political leader on July 26, 2018. With most votes counted, the PTI is expected win up to 119 seats in Pakistan's 272-seat parliament. "I started this struggle 22 years ago and today I have been given a chance to fulfill what I dreamed for the country," Khan said in a televised speech. "We will run Pakistan like it's never been run before."