LAHORE: Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khursheed has rejected the allegations of taking Gilgit-Baltistan police to Zaman Park during the siege and accused Punjab police of not allowing him to leave Lahore.
Talking to Wenews over the phone from Zaman Park, Khalid Khurshid dismissed the allegations of G-B police presence at Zaman Park, terming it ‘baseless’. He clarified that Gilgit-Baltistan police were neither deployed at Zaman Park nor (they) put up any resistance.
He said that he had been staying in a room at Zaman Park since yesterday and was waiting for permission from the Punjab police to go to Islamabad.
According to him, when he was coming to meet Imran Khan at Zaman Park, the Punjab police cleared the route for him and took him to Zaman Park. He said that after reaching there, he learned that an operation was going on to arrest Imran Khan.
‘Punjab police removed my security’
The G-B chief minister alleged that the Punjab police inspector-general removed his security at the behest of the federation and his security team was (kept) away from him all night.
“The Punjab police knew that the operation was going on and shelling was taking place, so why was I brought here after clearing the route?” he asked.
According to Khurshid, his life was put at risk. “I had no idea where my security was, and despite contacting the Punjab police overnight, nothing was told. Now my officials returned and told me that they were stopped five to six kilometers away (from Zaman Park) by the Punjab police.”
Khalid Khurshid said he was not being told when he could leave Zaman Park. “I have to go to Islamabad and then to Gilgit-Baltistan from there, but the Punjab police are not clearing the route.”
Khalid Khurshid stated, “all this is happening to him at the behest of the federation. “If I or any chief minister goes to any other province, they are provided security by the police of the province concerned. Their (own) security has no role to play in other provinces.”
