ISLAMABAD: All eyes are on Pakistan’s Lahore and former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence there as the city high court’s bar on a police operation to arrest the ex-premier ends today, Friday.
Police arrived on Tuesday outside Khan’s Lahore residence with a court-issued order to arrest him, unleashing clashes with supporters that lasted two days and led to injuries on both sides. The Lahore High Court on Wednesday barred police from arresting Khan until Thursday, and on Thursday extended the deadline until today, Friday. Today, the court will hear the case again.
“Yesterday, after negotiations with the Punjab administration, it was agreed to resolve the issues,” Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, a top Khan aide, said on Friday. “Today in the court of Justice Tariq Shaikh in the Lahore High Court, a consensus solution will be given.”
Police say a court in Islamabad ordered Khan’s arrest for not appearing before it despite repeated summon in the Toshakhana reference, involving the sale of state gifts given by foreign leaders while Khan was prime minister. Khan and his aides cite security concerns for the non-appearance. The ex-PM received gunshot wounds in November last year while leading an anti-government rally.
Apart from the Toshakhana reference, the ex-premier has been booked in over 75 different cases on various charges, including blasphemy, terrorism and sedition, which carries the death penalty in Pakistan. He has appeared in court in other cases. Khan says the cases against him are politically motivated which the government denies.
“85 cases were made against me, they will complete the century, they want to put me in jail,” Khan was quoted as saying by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Twitter. “But there is also a plan of Allah and that is the right.”
With Khan expected to present himself before the sessions court in Islamabad tomorrow, Saturday, it remains to be seen if non-bailable arrest warrants issued by the sessions court in the Toshakhana case will be suspended today or if the Lahore High court will extend its bar on the police operation to arrest the former PM.
Meanwhile, Khan supporters remain camped out in the hundreds outside his Zaman Park home in Lahore, vowing to thwart any attempt by authorities to arrest their leader.
Khan was ousted from power in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence last April and has since held massive rallies and protest marches to ask the government to announce snap national elections.
