Authorities in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Wednesday stepped up efforts to arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a corruption case, deploying Pak Rangers outside his residence.
The authorities have taken this step after violent clashes outside Imran Khan’s Lahore residence a day earlier. More than 60 people, including 54 policemen, were injured in these clashes.
Lahore’s Zaman Park area turned into a battlefield on Tuesday when its leader Imran Khan’s supporters clashed with policemen against his arrest in the Toshakhana case. People from both the sides were injured in the clash. The injured have been admitted to hospitals in Lahore and police have arrested dozens of Imran Khan’s supporters.
Quoting hospital sources, media outlet Geo News said that at least 54 policemen and eight civilians were injured in the clashes that continued since Tuesday afternoon. Clashes between Imran’s supporters and policemen continued throughout the night.
Khan remained under house arrest on Wednesday at his residence in this high-profile area, while the government sent Rangers to assist policemen as police teams that came to arrest Khan clashed with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists. After that she was seen trying hard to catch him.
After the issuance of non-bailable warrant in the Toshakhana case, Islamabad police arrived with armored vehicles to arrest PTI chief Khan from his home in Lahore.
Khan (70) is accused of buying gifts received during his tenure as prime minister from Toshakhana at throwaway prices and selling them for profit. The police, who arrived at Khan’s residence to comply with the court order to arrest him in the Toshakhana case, chased away the protesters gathered there.
In a video address to the nation from his residence, Imran Khan said on Wednesday that he has asked the army to end this “tamasha”. Pakistan’s television channels did not telecast Imran Khan’s speech. His party said the media was boycotting coverage of the speech on orders from the country’s “top leadership”.
Referring to the creation of Bangladesh, Imran said, “My house is under fierce attack since yesterday afternoon. Fresh attack by Rangers, pitting largest political party against Army. This is what the enemies of PDM and Pakistan want. We have not learned any lesson from the East Pakistan tragedy.
Imran Khan said he had prepared his bag to go to jail, but his party workers did not allow him to surrender fearing threat to his life in police custody and strongly opposed the arrest.
He said, “Seeing what happened to slain journalist Arshad Sharif, PTI leader Azam Swati and Shehbaz Gill in police custody, the activists are apprehensive of a threat to my life. They feel that I will be tortured and killed in custody because those involved in the attempt on my life are in power.”
Comparing the police and rangers’ “attack” on his residence with Jammu and Kashmir, the former prime minister said, “I wonder how the rangers are participating in this operation.” It is a conspiracy to pit the people of Pakistan against its army.
Imran said that he has never seen such police attack and brutality against any politician in Pakistan. “I asked for the Toshakhana case to be transferred to the court with adequate security, but an arrest warrant was issued for me. It is unexpected that a former prime minister has been denied security and is being attacked. ”As the Rangers and police intensified their operations, the caretaker government of Punjab expressed hope that Imran Khan would be Will be arrested soon.
He tweeted on Wednesday, “Clearly the claim of ‘arrest’ is mere drama as the real intent is to kidnap and kill.” They opened fire after tear gas and water cannons. I signed a bond last evening, but the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) refused to accept it. Their intention is motivated by maliciousness, there is no doubt about it.
Anticipating the situation to deteriorate, various PTI leaders, including Khan, appealed to party workers to gather at Zaman Park, where they acted as human shields and stood between Khan’s residence and the police. Police personnel lobbed tear gas shells but faced resistance and PTI workers stood their ground.
Khan tweeted, “Since yesterday morning our workers and leadership have been facing an onslaught of tear gas, chemical water cannons, rubber bullets and police bullets. Now the ‘Rangers’ are here and the people will have a direct confrontation with them.
“My question to an administration that claims to be neutral is, is it your neutrality that the Rangers are being directly confronted by unarmed protesters and the leadership of the largest political party because of an illegal case against their leader?” he said. Warrant has been issued and the matter is already in the court. This government of scoundrels trying to kidnap and possibly kill their leader?
In an interview with ‘BBC Urdu’, Khan said that the military establishment seems to be fulfilling the alleged promises made to PML-N’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif.
“I don’t understand why the establishment and the army chief are supporting the PDM government when it is damaging the reputation of the government institution (army),” he said.
Khan said the PML-N government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would not last a day without the crutches of the establishment. “No attempt has been made to contact Army Chief General Asim Munir,” he said.
The clash between PTI workers and the police lasted for over 11 hours, which continued till late night. Several police personnel and PTI workers were reported injured in the clash.
