LAHORE: An Islamabad police team on Sunday arrived at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s residence at Zaman Park in Lahore to arrest the former prime minister after an Islamabad judge issued non-bailable arrest warrants for him over persistent non-appearance in the Toshakhana reference.
In a series of tweets, the police said that the operation to arrest the PTI chief was being conducted with the cooperation of the Lahore police. It said that Imran was “avoiding” the arrest, adding that the superintendent of police went into his room but he was not present there.
عدالتی احکامات کے مطابق عمران خان کی گرفتاری کےلیے اسلام آباد پولیس کی ٹیم لاہور پہنچی ہے۔
لاہور پولیس کے تعاون سے تمام کارروائی مکمل کی جارہی ہے۔
عدالتی احکامات کی تکمیل میں رکاوٹ ڈالنے والوں کے خلاف قانونی کارروائی عمل میں لائی جائے گی۔
1/2— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) March 5, 2023
“Legal action will be taken against those obstructing the execution of court orders,” the police added.
Immediately after police teams arrived at Zaman Park, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, via a tweet, called all party workers to reach Imran’s residence, warning that any attempt to arrest Imran Khan will worsen the situation.
عمران خان کی گرفتاری کی کوئ بھی کوشش حالات کو شدید خراب کر دے گی، میں اس نا اھل اور پاکستان دشمن حکومت کو خبردار کرنا چاہ رہا پاکستان کو مزید بحران میں نہ دھکیلیں اور ہوش سے کام لیں، کارکنان زمان پارک پہنچ جائیں
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 5, 2023
Issuance of Arrest Warrants
Islamabad Additional Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zafar Iqbal issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Imran Khan last month over persistent absences from court in the Toshakhana reference. The warrant dated February 28 stated that Imran had repetitively failed to appear before the court.
It read: “The accused is making a pick and choose for courts and cases and this case is not included in his priority.”
“The accused be summoned through a non-bailable warrant of arrest for March 7,” it added.
The former premier was set to be indicted in the Toshakhana Reference on February 28, but his lawyer appealed before ADSJ Iqbal to exempt Imran from the hearing because he had to appear in several other courts. His indictment has been deferred twice before as well.
The judge had then issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the PTI chairman and adjourned the hearing till March 7.
The Toshakhana Reference was filed by lawmakers from the ruling coalition last year. It alleges that Imran had not shared details of the gifts retained by him from the Toshakhana – during his time as the prime minister – and proceeds from their reported sales. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) last year concluded that Imran had indeed made “false statements and incorrect declarations” regarding the gifts.
