Court Cancels Imran Khan’s Arrest Warrant, Ex-PM Says Break-in ‘Un-Islamic’; AK-47 Found From Mansion
In a high drama day in Pakistani politics, former Prime Minister Imran Khan evaded his arrest yet again, in connection with the Toshakhana case, even as his house in Lahore was raided and clashes erupted between the police and his supporters.
At the hearing, the Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zafar Iqbal allowed Khan to leave without his indictment in a corruption case after he marked his attendance outside the court complex.
The hearing has been adjourned till March 30.
The day saw a stand-off between Khan’s supporters and security forces who have tried to arrest him for skipping multiple previous hearings.
Situation got intense as Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore was raided by over 10,000 policemen of the Punjab police. At least 61 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party were arrested and about 10 PTI workers and three policemen were injured.
Here are latest updates from Pakistan today
🔺The police launched the “grand operation” at Khan’s Zaman Park residence here and removed all camps, and barricades erected there by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: party activists to prevent his arrest in the Toshakhana case.
🔺Inspector General Police Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar said that 20 rifles, including Kalashnikov, and petrol bomb bottles have been recovered from Khan’s residence.
🔺Judge Iqbal after waiting for hours for Khan to reach the court agreed with the suggestion by his lawyer to get the signature of the former premier on the attendance sheet in his vehicle to comply with the court orders of in-person presence.
🔺“The situation as it is, the hearing and appearance cannot proceed that is why all those who have gathered here should disperse after marking attendance. There is no need for shelling or pelting, the hearing cannot be held today,” the judge was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.
🔺Reacting to the raid at his residence, Khan called the raid of his Lahore residence as a “contempt of court.” “I am going to immediately take up the contempt issue, violation of the sanctity of my home & the violence against my workers & our domestic staff with our Judiciary,” he said.
🔺Imran Khan said the police stormed his house where his wife Bushra Bibi was alone, claiming that the “assault” on his house was part of a quid pro quo to bring Nawaz Sharif back to power. A vehicle of Imran Khan’s convoy also overturned on its way to Islamabad.
🔺Amid the hearing, clashes erupted between security forces and Khan’s supporters outside the judicial complex ahead of his appearance before the court.
🔺Islamabad police chief Akbar Nasir Khan told the media that Khan’s supporters resorted to violence, pelted stones at the police and also set on fire a police picket.
🔺The Islamabad police on Saturday also arrested Imran Khan’s Chief of Staff Shiblee Faraz, and later released him on the order of additional judge. Faraz has been directed to appear in the court on Monday.
🔺Meanwhile, Pakistan’s electronic media watchdog on Saturday banned satellite television channels from broadcasting live coverage of events outside the Islamabad court where former prime minister Imran Khan is set to appear in a corruption case against him.
🔺Fearing unrest and chaos amid the current situation, around 4,000 security officials including elite police commandos, anti-terrorism squads and paramilitary rangers were deployed around Islamabad with hospitals put on high alert.
With agency inputs
