LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) against today’s search operation conducted at the party Chairman Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence by the police, allegedly violating the agreement with the provincial government, police and PTI leadership.
The federal and provincial governments, the Punjab police chief and the Lahore police chief, have been made parties in the petition.
Former information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry filed the petition through his lawyer advocate Azhar Siddique, requesting the court to immediately stop and refrain the police from launching the “illegal operation” in the future.
PTI chief Khan claimed that police carried out an illegal operation at his residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park in his absence.
He alleged that PTI workers were also subjected to torture during the operation.
Imran prayed that the LHC should issue an order to stop the operation and also give instructions to the Punjab chief secretary, IGP, and the caretaker chief minister against conducting such operations in the future.
PTI terms police operation illegal, unlawful
The petitioner stated in his petition that a brutal and illegal police operation using force and heavy artillery is underway at Imran Khan’s residence in sheer disregard for the privacy of female citizens, including the wife of the former prime minister.
“The illegal, unlawful operation is being launched by the police, in sheer violation of the agreement reached on March 16 by and between the members of the provincial administration of Punjab and PTI concerning security, rallies, processions, and other points.
“This petition was filed to protect the political and fundamental rights in view of the recent police operation being brutally carried out at Imran Khan’s residence despite reaching the TORs. Police damaged the personal property of PTI’s head Imran Khan and broke into his house by dismantling the central entrance gate of his home using a crane. The police operation is a sheer violation of articles 9,14,15,16,23, and 24 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973. The arbitrary and unlawful operation seriously jeopardises the petitioner’s natural, fundamental, and constitutional right to privacy.
“Everything was settled regarding the execution of search warrants between provincial administration, police, and PTI through the TORs.”
