ISLAMABAD: Police and paramilitary soldiers on Wednesday withdrew from the area around the Lahore residence of former prime minister Imran Khan, pausing clashes that erupted the previous day when police arrived with a court-issued order to arrest the ex-premier.
Court orders to arrest Khan came in a case, popularly called the Toshakhana reference, involving the selling of state gifts given by foreign leaders while he was prime minister. Pakistan’s election commission found him guilty in the matter last year and a criminal inquiry is now underway. If convicted, Khan faces being barred from holding public office, a huge setback with a national election scheduled for November.
Police say a court in Islamabad ordered Khan’s arrest for not appearing before it despite repeated summons. Khan and his aides cite security concerns for the non-appearance. The ex-PM was injured in an apparent assassination attempt at a protest gathering last year.
After clashes on Tuesday and Wednesday, law enforcers stepped back from outside Khan’s residence while the Islamabad High Court heard an appeal against the arrest warrant.
Supporters of the leader, who had pelted police with stones and bricks on Tuesday and Wednesday, cheered and celebrated as law enforcers withdrew.
“Celebrate it but be prepared,” Khan’s personal security guard Mudassar Raza told jubilant supporters outside Khan’s Zaman Park neighborhood home.
“These are the people who do not believe in the law, they will come back. You have to stay here and be prepared.”
Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court summoned the chief secretary and inspector general of police in Punjab this afternoon for the hearing of a PTI petition seeking that the court order law enforcement to desist from arresting Khan and suspend the existing arrest warrants.
In Islamabad, Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Justice Aamer Farooq reserved judgment on a PTI petition seeking a suspension of Khan’s arrest warrants.
“We will come up with a solution that will help avoid confrontation and maintain respect of the judiciary,” the chief justice remarked while reserving the judgment in the case.
On Tuesday, as police arrived with a court-issued warrant to arrest Khan, his supporters pelted them with stones and bricks, with officers retaliating with tear gas and batons. There were reports of injuries on both sides and TV footage also showed injured policemen and Khan supporters outside Khan’s Zaman Park home.
Early on Wednesday morning, Pakistani media widely showed footage of police shelling the area with tear gas to disperse Khan supporters gathered outside his house as a large number of Rangers arrived.
“After our workers & leadership faced police onslaught since yesterday morning of tear gas, cannons with chemical water, rubber bullets & live bullets this morning; we now have Rangers taking over & are now in direct confrontation with the people,” Khan said in a Twitter post.
Referring to Pakistan’s all-powerful military he asked:
“My question to the Establishment, to those who claim they are “neutral“: Is this your idea of neutrality, Rangers directly confronting unarmed protesters & leadership of 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?”
“Clearly ‘arrest’ claim was mere drama because real intent is to abduct & assassinate … There is no doubt of their mala fide intent,” Khan added.
PTI workers outside Khan’s residence also accused the police of using live bullets on Wednesday morning while showing the media empty casings.
The Punjab government, however, denied it had used live ammunition.
“No police officer or soldier was armed during the raid at Zaman Park as per the instructions of the inspector general of police in Punjab [province],” it said in a statement. “Now fake news of firing has been broadcast after the PTI has injured over hundred officers and soldiers.”
Apart from the Toshakhana reference, the ex-premier has been booked in over 70 different cases on various charges, including blasphemy, terrorism and sedition. He has appeared in court in other cases. Khan says the cases against him are politically motivated which the government denies.
Khan was ousted from power in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence last April and has since held rallies and protest marches to ask the government to announce snap national elections.
