A car in Khan’s convoy met with an accident on his way to Islamabad, delaying the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman’s appearance in court. Khan said that all this was part of a plan to arrest him so that he would not be able to lead the party’s election campaign.
However, the courts have granted protection from arrest to Khan in nine cases, including toshakhana case, the PTI chief expressed apprehensions that he would be arrested. “I am going to court despite knowing that they will arrest me because I believe in the rule of law,” he said in a video message posted on Twitter.
Khan also told reporters that a committee has been formed to lead his party if he is arrested. “I have formed a committee which will obviously decide once – if – I am inside the prison.”
Real statement of Imran Khan #چلو_چلو_عمران_के_साथ https://t.co/8c0l0aC5eC
– PTI (@PTIofficial) 1679124274000
Meanwhile, police personnel, who have been camping outside the Zaman Park residence in Lahore for over three days to arrest Khan, reportedly forcibly entered the premises soon after the former PM went to the High Court.
The 70-year-old is scheduled to appear in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal to participate in the proceedings on a complaint filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan for allegedly concealing details of gifts in his asset declarations.
Here are the top developments:
Police enter the premises of Khan’s Zaman Park residence
News reports from Lahore claimed that the police had taken control of Khan’s residence in Zaman Park after evicting hundreds of PTI supporters.
Punjab Police personnel reportedly removed barricades from the entrance of the residence with an excavator and entered the premises. The police reportedly faced resistance from PTI workers camping inside and retaliated with a lathicharge.
They are also attacking the chairman’s house where Bhusra Bibi is alone. This is blatant contempt of court after LHC or… https://t.co/YRi1jFqM3q
– PTI (@PTIofficial) 1679125262000
Some activists were reportedly taken into custody. An unverified video posted by PTI shows activists being attacked by police inside Khan’s residence.
A separate video posted by an activist showed an electric shovel breaking through the front gate of Zaman Park, after which police personnel could be seen entering the complex.
It was also reported that the police entered the PTI chief’s house by breaking open the door. The personnel also uprooted the camps inside the complex.
Attack on my house: Imran Khan
Khan condemned the ongoing police operation at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
“Meanwhile Punjab Police raided my house in Zaman Park where Bushra Begum is alone,” he said in a tweet. “Under what law are they doing this? It is part of the London plan where commitments were made to bring fugitive Nawaz Sharif to power in return for agreeing to an appointment.”
Meanwhile, the Punjab Police raided my house in Zaman Park, where Bushra Begum is alone. Under which law… https://t.co/JnqnRZzy76
– Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) 1679124670000
The PTI chief said an “agreement” was signed in London, underlining that “Imran must be put in jail to destroy his party and eliminate all cases against Nawaz Sharif.” Imran said that his arrest had “nothing to do with the law” but was actually part of a ‘London’ conspiracy.
Tight security outside the High Court
Tight security arrangements have been made outside the judicial complex at G-11 in Islamabad, where Khan is expected to reach soon.
A large contingent of police has been deployed in the area to protect Khan, who narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in November last year.
Khan said he knew the government would arrest him as he was on his way to the Islamabad court to attend a hearing in the Toshakhana case, despite a prolonged effort by law enforcement to nab him because of his absence from the previous hearing. Were.
Section 144 in Islamabad
The Islamabad administration imposed Section 144 in the capital on Friday night, barring private companies, security guards or individuals from carrying weapons. It is mandatory for the drivers to carry the registration documents of their vehicles while driving.
In a tweet, the capital police said that a traffic plan had been issued, and citizens were advised to avoid unnecessary movement towards the areas of G-11 and G-10.
“Chief Commissioner Islamabad has directed citizens to cooperate with the authorities and avoid unnecessary movement to ensure smooth implementation of the traffic plan.”
protection from arrest
In the last hearing on Thursday, the court had dismissed Imran’s plea seeking suspension of the non-bailable arrest warrant issued against him.
However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday suspended the non-bailable arrest warrant issued for Imran, giving him a chance to appear before the trial court on Saturday.
During Friday’s hearing, Imran’s lawyer Khawaja Haris submitted an affidavit by his client, assuring that the PTI chief would appear before the court on March 18.
Islamabad High Court has stayed the arrest warrant of Imran Khan
toshakhana case
Khan has been in the crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch, which he obtained as a premier at a discounted price from a state depository called Toshakhana, and selling them for a profit.
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.
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.
Khan has skipped several hearings in the case.
pitch battle
The PTI chief is protesting arrest in the Toshakhana case, holed up inside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, surrounded by hundreds of his supporters, who have fought fiercely with police and rangers over the past few days, leading to More injuries have occurred as a result. People over 60, mostly policemen.
The clashes finally calmed down following the intervention of the courts on Wednesday, a day after Khan’s supporters placed shipping containers outside the main entrance of his residence and barricaded themselves in front to shield the prime minister from any police action. Equipped with club and slingshot.
As the police cordoned off his Lahore residence, Khan once again approached the IHC with a petition against the arrest orders.
The IHC refused to intervene and asked the lawyer to approach the district court and give an undertaking that Khan would appear on March 18 when the court had scheduled the matter for hearing.
Khan appeared before the Lahore High Court on Friday and assured that he was ready to appear before the judge hearing a corruption case against him on Saturday.
(with inputs from agencies)