Pakistan Police to search Imran Khan’s Lahore residence today to arrest ‘terrorists’
A large number of Punjab police personnel on Thursday surrounded the house of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan.
In Lahore and may launch a security operation any time on Friday to arrest the “terrorists” allegedly holed up in his residence as the government’s 24-hour deadline to hand them over expired.
The caretaker Punjab government says the police action at Khan’s Zaman Park residence is expected any time soon as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief has failed to meet the deadline to hand over the terrorists.
Senior police officer Hasan Bhatti on Thursday claimed that they arrested eight people from the Zaman Park area who are suspected to be involved in the attacks on the army installations on May 9.
Khan’s party disputed the claim, saying the police brought a bunch of arrested individuals to Zaman Park to prove that they had been taken into custody outside their leader’s residence.
The police officers armed with heavy machinery have taken positions near Zaman Park. Police have also blocked all roads leading to Khan’s residence by erecting barriers. Jammers have been placed in the area.
Citing sources, Geo News reported that the Inspector General (IG) of Punjab police and the capital city police officers have asked the police to remain “vigilant”.
On Wednesday, Punjab’s caretaker Information minister Amir Mir claimed that some “30 to 40” terrorists were hiding inside Khan’s Zaman Park residence and gave an ultimatum of 24 hours to the chief to hand them over or face stern action.
The minister said on Thursday that as the deadline expired the police may raid Zaman Park to arrest the terrorists, including Khan’s nephew Hassan Niazi, who is reportedly hiding there.
Khan, meanwhile, asked the government to send the police team with search warrants as it would not object to it.
He has claimed that the decision to arrest him has been taken and he will be tried under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act in connection with attacks on military installations. He said he would be kept in jail for 10 years under sedition charges.
On Wednesday, Khan, in a tweet, shared a video of what he claimed were “scenes outside my house while I was addressing the nation”. In the video, a large contingent of police officers and dozens of police vehicles were seen moving in one direction.
In a series of tweets on Thursday, Khan demanded an immediate inquiry into the police firing on unarmed protesters in which he claimed 25 people were killed and hundreds injured on May 6 and 7.
“In France, despite protesters hurling petrol bombs at the police, not once were they fired upon by the police. Under the smokescreen of arson, which any independent investigation will show was pre-planned to justify the crackdown on PTI, there is no mention in the media discourse of the massive violations of our fundamental right to protest peacefully. And no mention of an inquiry into the killing of at least 25 peaceful protestors and wounding of around 600,” Khan said.
He further said: “The nation has been taken over by a bunch of crooks, criminals, duffers devoid of any ethics or morality. While the country sinks into its worst economic crisis, especially unprecedented inflation and unemployment, all those in power are concentrating on how to crush the biggest and the only federal party by unleashing a reign of terror. Time for all citizens to raise their voices before it’s too late.”
In his video address from his Zaman Park residence on Wednesday, Khan said Pakistan was heading towards imminent disaster and may face an East Pakistan-like situation.
“I am having a frightening dream that the country is heading towards an imminent disaster,” he said.
Rejecting the Punjab government’s claim that some 40 terrorists are hiding inside his Lahore home, Khan said the government must search the house in a lawful manner after obtaining a search warrant because his own life was also in danger in the presence of terrorists.
“But don’t make this an excuse to launch a crackdown on the country’s largest political party, the PTI,” he said.
“This is high time that the powers that be should sensibly rethink otherwise the country might face an East Pakistan-like situation,” he said.
The police in March had stormed the Zaman Park residence of Khan to arrest him but strong resistance of his party workers thwarted that plan.
Following his address, Khan allowed the electronic and digital media representatives access to his residence to see for themselves that there were no terrorists inside Zaman Park.
The media people who visited the house, later reported that there were only domestic workers and some police officers inside the house.
Earlier on Wednesday, Khan tweeted: “Probably my last tweet before my next arrest. Police have surrounded my house”.
On May 9, violent protests erupted after the arrest of Khan. His party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Jinnah House (Lahore Corps Commander’s house), Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was also attacked by the mob for the first time.
Police put the death toll in violent clashes at 10, while Khan’s party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the firing by security personnel.
In his first public reaction to the recent incidents of violence, Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir on Wednesday vowed to bring to justice all those “responsible for bringing shame to the nation on May 9” and said that such “orchestrated tragic incidents” would never be allowed again at any cost.
On Monday, the top military brass vowed to bring the arsonists, who attacked the civil and military installations, to justice through trial under relevant laws of the country, including the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act.
Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.