LAHORE: Police retreated on Wednesday from Zaman Park after laying siege to former prime minister Imran Khan’s Lahore residence for over 20 hours as a large number of lawyers showed up to express solidarity with the party workers who engaged law enforces in pitched battles for hours, bracing tear gas and water cannons.
After police pulled back from Khan’s residence, PTI supporters at Zaman Park jeered and celebrated “chasing the Rangers personnel away.”
Early in the morning, Islamabad police, backed by Punjab police and Rangers personnel, made another attempt to arrest the former prime minister in connection with the Toshkhana case. Imran has evaded appearing in court several times, which led a judge in Islamabad to issue non-bailable arrest warrants for him.
Law enforcers face stiff resistance
The law enforcers faced stiff resistance from PTI workers, who pelted stones at them. The police responded with volleys of tear gas and use batons to disperse the protesters.
After a pitched battle for extended hours, the police retread along with armoured vehicles and vans. As soon as the law enforces pulled back, celebrations erupted at Zaman Park as jubilant PTI workers raised slogans and cheered while chasing away the Rangers personnel.
A heavy contingent of police, water cannons, and armoured vehicles had been deployed at Dharam Pura bridge after PTI workers engaged Islamabad police, aided by Punjab police and Rangers personnel in pitched battles that continued late into the night.
Resisting the arrest so far, Imran Khan and activists also inspected Zaman Park’s surroundings on Wednesday morning. According to him, preparations were being made again to attack Zaman Park and arrest him.
In a video message to the people, Khan said that Zaman Park has presented the occupied Kashmir scene since yesterday afternoon. “The way the police attacked our people is unprecedented,” he said.
“What was the need for violence, shelling and using water cannons against workers? Due to security reasons, I could not appear in F-8 Katchehry Islamabad. Lawyers and judges have been martyred in terrorist attacks on F-8 court twice in the past.”
Imran Khan said that “he gave an affidavit to appear in the court on March 18 to avoid chaos, after which Lahore High Court Bar President Ishtiaq A Khan went to meet the DIG, but the latter intentionally did not meet him.”
According to Imran Khan, the DIG did not receive his surety bond owing to malafide intention because he is part of the “London plan”. “The police have no justification for arrest after submitting bail bonds. ‘
Imran Khan said that in the alleged London plan, an agreement had been reached to put him in jail and bring down the PTI.
“In the London plan, a powerful man has also guaranteed Nawaz Sharif to exonerate him of his cases,” he said.
