LAHORE: More contingents have reached the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s residence in Zaman Park Lahore where a stand-off between the party supporters and law-enforcement agencies has been going on for more than 20 hours amid efforts to arrest the former prime minister in the Toshakhana case.
Tensions continued gripping Lahore also on Wednesday as police made a fresh attempt to arrest former prime minister Imran Khan but faced resistance from hundreds of Khan’s supporters gathered outside his Zaman Park residence. The police failed to arrest Khan despite the passage of 19 hours as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers laid siege to the path leading to Khan’s residence as well as Canal Road.
PTI workers at Zaman Park
The PTI workers and supporters on Tuesday night took control of Zaman Park following hours-long clashes with the police, who arrived to arrest former prime minister Imran Khan.
After the deployment of Rangers, the PTI chief, in a series of tweets, claimed that “real intent is to abduct and assassinate him” as the police have “now resorted to live firing”. “From tear gas & water cannons, they have now resorted to firing. I signed a surety bond last evening, but the DIG refused to even entertain it. There is no doubt of their mala-fide intent,” he said.
‘London plan’
In another video shared on PTI’s Twitter account in the wee hours of Wednesday, the PTI chief said that his arrest was part of the “London plan”. Imran Khan also claimed that in order to “avoid anarchy”, he had signed an undertaking and his counsel Ishtiaq A Khan tried presenting the surety to the Islamabad police deputy inspector general (DIG) sent to arrest him.
