The police launched a “massive operation” at Mr Khan’s Zaman Park residence. (file)
Lahore:
More than 10,000 armed Punjab Police personnel carried out a major operation at the residence of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Lahore, arresting dozens of his party workers and claiming to have seized weapons and petrol bombs, when he appeared in a court hearing. Went to Islamabad to appear. Corruption case against him.
Police launched a “grand operation” at Mr. Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore and removed all camps and barricades put up by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party workers to prevent his arrest in the Toshakhana case.
The 70-year-old PTI chief has been in the crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch received as a premier at a discounted price from a state depository called Toshakhana, and selling them for profit.
During the operation, 61 workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party were arrested and around 10 PTI workers and three policemen were injured.
Imran Khan’s residence became a battleground between his party workers and police and rangers for two days earlier this week over his “arrest operation” in the case.
However, PTI workers were successful in thwarting the attempt to arrest him and the operation was halted earlier this week on the orders of the Lahore High Court.
After the operation, Inspector General Police Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar told a press conference that earlier the police had stopped the operation at Zaman Park on the orders of LHC and PSL match.
“However, the court did not stop us from taking action against those who attacked the police. Today we started an operation at 12 noon. We faced opposition from PTI workers, but we managed to control the situation,” he said. and arrested 61 activists.” Said.
IGP told that 20 rifles and petrol bomb bottles including Kalashnikov have been recovered from Imran Khan’s residence.
Some bunkers have also been built in the Zaman Park area, he said, adding that a case will be registered against Khan in this regard.
He said that Imran Khan’s house was raided after the police got a search warrant.
During the operation, the police allegedly manhandled PTI workers and Mr. Khan’s house staff.
The footage shows police entering Imran Khan’s residence and beating PTI workers.
Police, who claim they were fired upon from inside, broke down the main gate and front walls of Imran Khan’s house and searched the entire compound.
“Mr. Khan’s domestic workers in Zaman Park have been brutally manhandled by the police by ransacking the house in sheer violation of the orders of the Lahore High Court. Cook Safir taken away by police after beating up driver Shaukat and sweeper Isaac His personal belongings including cash and mobile phones have also been seized by the rampaging police, said senior PTI leader Shireen Mazari.
Punjab’s caretaker government’s information minister Aamir Mir said a police operation has been launched to clear the Zaman Park area.
“Zaman Park had become a no-go zone. More than 10,000 men of the Punjab Police participated in the operation to clear it. We also had reports that members of banned organizations were also heisting there.” The cricketer-turned-politician condemned the police action in a series of tweets, saying: “It is now clear that, despite my getting bail in all the cases, the PDM government intends to arrest me. Knowing their malicious intentions Regardless, I am going to Islamabad and the court because I believe in the rule of law. But the intention of this gang of miscreants should be clear to all. “Meanwhile, the Punjab Police has raided my house in Zaman Park, where Bushra Begum is alone. Under what law are they doing this? This is part of the London Plan, where fugitives were determined to bring Nawaz Sharif to power. Status quo to agree to an appointment.” Speaking to Geo News, Home Minister Rana Sanaullah alleged that police were fired upon from inside the residence. He said there was a ‘no-go’ outside the 70-year-old PTI chief’s house. Area’ has been created.
Mr. Sanaullah further disclosed that the barricade was erected to target the police.
He said that all the “terrorists” inside Zaman Park House had been captured, and claimed that explosives, petrol bombs and bomb-making materials had been recovered from the site.
When asked whether the government wanted to arrest Imran Khan, Rana Sanaullah said that the PTI chief had got bail even before he was arrested. He further clarified that the government wanted him to appear before the court.
The minister said the police were unarmed, and clarified that they had not entered the area where Mr Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi was present.
Before barging into Khan’s residence, the police said in a statement, “Section 144 is in force, you are advised to move away.”
Television footage showed police entering Imran Khan’s eight-aisled house after using an excavator to bring down the main iron gate.
Imran Khan also tweeted that the Lahore siege was not to ensure his presence in the court but was aimed at imprisoning him and preventing him from leading the PTI’s election campaign.
Established in 1974, Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats and officials by other governments and heads of state and foreign dignitaries.
Mr Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan in October last year for not sharing details of the sale.
The election body later filed a complaint with the district court to punish him under criminal laws for selling gifts he had received as the country’s prime minister.
Imran Khan, who has vehemently denied those allegations, is set to be indicted in the matter.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad Police has issued a traffic advisory, stating that due to the tight security measures around the judicial complex at G-11, there may be difficulty in the movement of traffic, causing inconvenience to citizens.
The Islamabad administration imposed Section 144 in the capital on Friday night, barring private companies, security guards or individuals from carrying weapons. Drivers will have to carry their vehicle registration documents while driving.
The government on Friday shifted the venue of the additional sessions court to a comparatively secure judicial complex for hearing the case after security concerns were raised by PTI, reported Dawn.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
