Ajit Karn
Lahore: A Lahore court has ordered the Pakistani police to suspend their operation to apprehend former prime minister Imran Khan until tomorrow at 10 a.m. The order was issued after police engaged in pitched skirmishes with Mr. Khan’s supporters outside his Lahore home today, launching teargas and evading boulders hurled by furious crowds.
Water cannons and tear gas rounds were also launched at his supporters as teams of riot police attempted to drive Mr. Khan’s supporters away from his residence, as evidenced by television footage.
This afternoon, police officers were observed fleeing in disarray from the direction of the residence.
“The police and rangers sent to injure Imran Khan were repelled by the people,” his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party tweeted alongside a video of supporters celebrating outside his home.
Another video depicted Imran Khan leaving his residence while wearing a disguise to meet with party workers and supporters.
The 70-year-old politician, who is also a cricket legend, is sought for corruption in the Toshakhana case. During his tenure as prime minister, he was found culpable of unlawfully selling gifts he received from foreign dignitaries. Mr. Khan was issued an arrest warrant after he failed to appear in court.
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Earlier this month, police surrounded his private residence in the central city of Lahore, armed with an arrest warrant for the same case, but were unable to apprehend him.
Mr. Khan claims that his detention is part of the “London plan” and is intended to stifle his call for early elections. “This is part of the London plan, and an agreement to place Imran in prison, bring down the PTI, and end all cases against Nawaz Sharif was signed there,” he said.
Imran Khan has demanded emergency elections following his ouster as prime minister last year. The request was denied by his successor Shehbaz Sharif.
