Early Wednesday morning, the police and para-military Rangers made a fresh attempt to arrest the former premier Khan but they were thwarted by PTI supporters.
By Naveed Naqvi
ISLAMABAD: Clashes continued between police and Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf party on Wednesday after a night of violent standoff outside the residence of former prime minister Imran Khan in Lahore as authorities attempt to arrest the cricketer-turned-politician for failing to appear in court on a corruption case.
The police team that arrived at Khan’s residence in the Zaman Park area to arrest him, faced fierce resistance from the PTI supporters. Footage shared by Khan’s PTI party on social media and local television channels showed police firing tear gas and water cannons and also baton charges at Khan’s supporters in an effort to disperse them. PTI supporters threw stones in return, injuring several police officers.
As clashes escalated, police cut the electricity supply to Khan’s home and turned streetlights off in the wider Zaman Park neighborhood. Television channels showed a helicopter hovering over the house, adding that internet connection had been cut in the area.
Khan called on his supporters to stand up for the supremacy of the law.
“Police have come to arrest and send me to jail,” he said in a video message posted on his official twitter account. “If something happens to me, or sent to jail, or they kill me, you’ve to prove that this nation will continue to struggle even without Imran Khan.”
Soon after Khan’s video statement, protests also broke out in major cities across the country on Tuesday evening.
Earlier this week, a trial court in Islamabad had upheld the non-bailable arrest warrant for Khan for not appearing before it despite several summons in the Toshakhana case.
“On the order of the court, the person who ran away from the court will be arrested and produced there,” tweeted Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday.
Khan’s lawyers, however, argued that he has previously failed to appear in court because he cannot leave his residence in Lahore due to security concerns.
The 70-year-old ex-premier has been recovering from a gunshot injury from an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year and has skipped hearings in several cases.
Khan aide Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters the former prime minister had secured “protective bail” from a court. “Our understanding is that the police can’t arrest Imran Khan,” he said.
On Wednesday morning, more police contingents were called to Zaman Park — where a stand-off between party supporters and law enforcers has been going on for more than 16 hours.
Early Wednesday morning, the police and para-military Rangers made a fresh attempt to arrest the former premier but they were thwarted by PTI supporters. Party supporters also torched a water tanker of the Lahore Waste Management Authority, motorcycles and other vehicles in the vicinity. They also ransacked a warden’s office.
In a series of tweets, Khan said “we now have Rangers taking over and are now in direct confrontation with the people” after a day of facing tear gas, cannons with chemical water, rubber bullets and live bullets.
“My question to the establishment, to those who claim they are ‘neutral’: Is this your idea of neutrality, Rangers directly confronting unarmed protestors & leadership of the largest political party when their leader is facing an illegal warrant & case already in court & when govt of crooks trying to abduct & possibly murder him?” he asked.
The PTI chief claimed that the real intent of the authorities behind the entire episode was to “abduct and assassinate” him. “Clearly arrest claim was mere drama because the real intent is to abduct & assassinate. From tear gas & water cannons, they have now resorted to live firing”.
Earlier, Khan accused the government of planning his arrest saying this is all part of a “London plan” to finish all cases against the former premier Nawaz Sharif.
“This is part of the London plan and an agreement has been signed there to put Imran in jail, make the PTI fall and finish all cases against Nawaz Sharif,” Khan said in a separate video message.
He further stated that he doesn’t understand the reason behind the attack on people as he had already assured that he will be present in court on March 18.
PTI chief said he had given an undertaking to the Lahore High Court Bar Association president who then attempted to forward it to the senior police official who was coming to arrest the PTI chief but the latter did not meet the president.
“According to Code of Criminal Procedure Section 76, if this surety bond is given to the arresting officer, then I cannot be arrested,” Khan said.
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