In a temporary relief for Imran Khan, a Pakistani court on Wednesday ordered the police to stop its operation outside the former prime minister’s residence in Lahore to arrest him in a corruption case, amidst clashes between the security personnel and his supporters.
The Zaman Park in Lahore where Khan lives remained under siege for the last two days and the government sent the elite Rangers to aid police teams who struggled on Tuesday to muscle their way through a ring of enraged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) supporters to arrest party chairman Khan.
The police, with their riot gear on, closed in on Khan’s home to comply with the court orders to arrest the 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician in the Toshakhana case.
However, the police withdrew from the area after the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered them to stop their operation at Zaman Park till 10 am on Thursday.
The LHC summoned the Punjab inspector-general, chief secretary and Islamabad police (operations) head on a petition filed by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry seeking order for the government to stop the police action at Khan’s residence. Khan’s party on Tuesday challenged the police operation in the Lahore High Court, requesting it to direct the government to end its bid to arrest the party chief.
“IGP Punjab Dr Usman Anwar appeared before the court and told it that police had to launch the operation as Islamabad police had brought an arrest warrant for Imran Khan in the Toshakhana gifts case. We had to implement this order under the law. He said some 59 policemen have been injured during the clashes with the PTI workers,” a court official told PTI.
“The PTI advocate told the court that the sessions court Islamabad had issued the order to ensure the presence of Khan in the court on March 18 in the Toshakhana gifts case... why police operation was launched to arrest him four days before, requesting it intervenes to save human lives,” the official said.