LAHORE: A crew of Islamabad police on Sunday reached Lahore residence of ousted prime minister Imran Khan to arrest him within the Toshakhana case, however returned after assurance from his authorized crew that he’ll seem earlier than the courtroom on March 7. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice chairman and former overseas minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated there isn’t any point out of “arrest” within the warrants as an Islamabad classes courtroom has requested him to seem earlier than it on March 7 within the Toshakhana case.
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned politician, who has been recovering from a gunshot damage from an assassination try in Wazirabad final yr, has thrice skipped indictment hearings within the case.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief has been within the crosshairs for purchasing presents, together with an costly Graff wristwatch he had obtained because the premier at a reduced value from the state depository referred to as Toshakhana and promoting them for revenue.
The courtroom issued a non-bailable arrest warrant towards Khan final week and adjourned the listening to until March 7 for his repeated failure to seem earlier than the courtroom.
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In the meantime, Lahore police have closed the primary highway resulting in the Zaman Park residence of Khan by inserting containers. Riot police and water cannons are presently current close to Khan’s residence. His occasion fears that police could raid Khan’s home anytime. Nevertheless, it stated the occasion staff will foil any such try.
Punjab Inspector Basic of Police Dr Usman Anwar stated in an announcement that Punjab police would cooperate with Islamabad police to implement the courtroom’s order concerning Khan’s case. He, nonetheless, didn’t say that police are going to arrest Khan.
“Punjab police will assist Islamabad police in implementing the courtroom’s order,” he stated.
The Prime Minister’s particular assistant on inside Attaullah Tarar advised reporters that the Islamabad police went to Khan’s residence to ship a discover to him to seem earlier than a courtroom within the Toshakhana case on March 7 when he will probably be indicted within the case.
“Right this moment Imran Khan locked himself in a room in Zaman Park. Khan’s chief of workers Shibli Faraz stated he wasn’t at residence when the Islamabad police got here to ship a courtroom’s discover. However Khan later appeared from his home addressing the occasion staff,” Tarar stated.
Numerous PTI staff reached the Zaman Park following the information of his doable arrest. “Arrest of Imran Khan is our pink line and we won’t permit this,” PTI senior chief Shafqat Mahmood stated.
Because the Islamabad police had been current outdoors his residence to ship the courtroom’s order, Khan was talking on the gathering of these staff arrested in ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ (courtroom arrest motion) at his residence.
Khan claimed “they” needed to kill him whereas on the best way to his courtroom look. “They’ve made yet one more plan to kill me throughout a courtroom look,” he alleged.
“I’ll write to the chief justice of Pakistan telling him that 74 false circumstances have been registered towards me. I’ve a menace to my life from those that are supposed to guard me,” he stated, in an oblique reference to the institution.
“Take an instance of criminals like (Prime Minister) Shehbaz Sharif and (Inside Minister) Rana Sanaullah who had been concerned in killing folks and an try on his life (in Wazirabad in November final yr) ” he stated.
Khan additionally named “Soiled Harry’, a reference to a prime ISI officer, for brutal torture of his occasion leaders and social media activists. “Soiled Harry is a psychopath. He’s a sick man. There’s a menace to my life from such folks,” he stated.
In a collection of tweets, the Islamabad Police earlier stated an operation to arrest Khan was being carried out with the cooperation of the Lahore police.
“Imran Khan is avoiding the arrest. The superintendent of police had gone into Imran’s room however he was not current there. Islamabad Police will switch Imran Khan to Islamabad beneath their safety. Regulation is equal for all. Authorized motion will probably be taken towards these obstructing the execution of courtroom orders,” the Islamabad police stated.
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The Islamabad police stated its crew remains to be current in Lahore. IG Islamabad Akbar Nasir stated that the courtroom has ordered police to current Khan earlier than it by March 7 after arresting him.
“The Islamabad police crew will stay in Lahore until additional orders,” he stated.
In the meantime, senior PTI chief Fawad Chaudhry advised reporters that Khan is submitting a protecting bail petition within the Lahore Excessive Court docket within the assault on Islamabad judicial advanced.
Khan was ousted from energy in April after shedding a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was a part of a US-led conspiracy focusing on him due to his unbiased overseas coverage selections on Russia, China, and Afghanistan.
Since his ouster, Khan has been clamouring for fast elections to oust what he termed was an “imported authorities” led by prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Sharif has maintained that elections will probably be held later this yr as soon as the parliament completes its five-year tenure.
