Pakistan: Imran Khan dodges arrest after Islamabad Police show up at his home
A team of Islamabad police reached the former prime minister’s house in Lahore on Sunday Imran Khan asked to be arrested in the Toshakhana case, but returned after his legal team assured him to appear in court on March 7.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the warrants did not mention “arrest” as the Islamabad sessions court asked him to appear on March 7 in the Toshakhana case. is
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, who is recuperating after being shot in an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year, has waived three charges in the case.
The Pakistan The Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief has been on a buying spree, including an expensive graph wristwatch he received as a premier at a discounted price from a state depository called Toshakhana. and had to sell them for a profit.
The court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Khan last week and adjourned the hearing till March 7 due to his repeated non-appearance in the court.
Meanwhile, the Lahore Police has blocked the main road leading to Khan’s Zaman Park residence with containers. Riot police and water cannons are currently present near Khan’s residence. His party fears that the police may raid Khan’s house at any time. However, it said party workers would thwart any such attempt.
Punjab Police Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar said in a statement that the Punjab Police will cooperate with the Islamabad Police to implement the court orders regarding Khan’s case. However, he did not say that the police were going to arrest Khan.
He said, “Punjab Police will help Islamabad Police in implementing the court orders.”
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Internal Affairs Ataullah Tarar told reporters that the Islamabad police had gone to Khan’s house to give him a notice to appear in court in the Toshakhana case on March 7 when he would be indicted in the case.
“Today, Imran Khan locked himself in a room in Zaman Park. Khan’s chief of staff, Shibli Faraz, said he was not at home when the Islamabad police came to serve the court notice. But Khan later appeared from his home. Hoy. Party workers,” said Tarar.
After the news of his possible arrest, a large number of PTI workers reached Zaman Park. Senior PTI leader Shafqat Mehmood said, “Imran Khan’s arrest is our red line and we will not allow it.”
While the Islamabad police were present outside his residence to deliver the court orders, Khan was addressing a gathering of workers arrested in the ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ (Court Arrest Movement) at his residence.
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Khan claimed that “they” wanted to kill him on the way to a court appearance. “They have another plan to kill me during the court appearance,” he alleged.
“I will write to the Chief Justice of Pakistan that 74 false cases have been registered against me. I am in danger of my life from those who are supposed to protect me,” he said in an indirect reference to the establishment.
“Take the example of criminals like (Prime Minister) Shehbaz Sharif and (Home Minister) Rana Sanaullah who were involved in killing people and the attempt on his life (in Wazirabad in November last year),” he said.
Khan was also nicknamed “Dirty Harry” by a top ISI official for brutally torturing his party leaders and social media activists. “Dirty Harry is a psychopath. He is a sick man. My life is in danger from such people,” he said.
In a series of tweets, the Islamabad Police had earlier said that an operation was being launched in collaboration with the Lahore Police to arrest Khan.
“Imran Khan is evading arrest. Superintendent of Police went to Imran’s room but he was not there. Islamabad Police will transfer Imran Khan to Islamabad under their security. Law is equal for all. Legal action will be taken against him. . who obstruct the compliance of court orders,” Islamabad Police said.
Islamabad Police said its team is still present in Lahore.
IG Islamabad Akbar Nasir said that the court has ordered the police to produce Khan before him by March 7 after his arrest.
“The Islamabad police team will remain in Lahore till further orders,” he said.
Meanwhile, senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhary told reporters that Khan is filing a protective bail petition in the Lahore High Court in the case of the attack on the Islamabad Judicial Complex.
Khan was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy to target him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.
Since his ouster, Khan has been calling for snap elections to oust the “import government” led by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
Sharif has said that elections will be held at the end of this year after the completion of the five-year term of Parliament.
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