Islamabad: PTI Chairman Imran Khan decried a police operation that was under way at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on Saturday as he made his way to Islamabad, where he is to be indicted in the Toshakhana case.
The PTI leader is scheduled to appear before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zafar Iqbal to attend proceedings on a complaint filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for allegedly concealing details of gifts in his assets declarations. He is set to be indicted in case.
“Meanwhile Punjab police have led an assault on my house in Zaman Park where Bushra Begum is alone,” he said in a tweet.
“Under what law are they doing this? This is part of London Plan where commitments were made to bring absconder Nawaz Sharif to power as quid pro quo for agreeing to one appointment.”
A video posted by PTI, which Dawn.com could not independently verify showed police attacking workers inside what the party said was inside the residence.
A separate video posted by an activist showed a power shovel smashing through what appeared to be the gate to Zaman Park. DawnNewsTV’s correspondent at the scene confirmed that the gates were dismantled by the excavator.
DawnNewsTV correspondent at the scene described the events at Imran’s residence. Punjab police personnel removed barricades from the entrance of Imran’s Zaman Park residence and entered the premises. The police were reportedly met with resistance from PTI workers – who pelted stones at them – from inside, which resulted in a baton charge.
Some activists were reportedly taken into custody.
The TV channel also reported that the police broke into the PTI chief’s house by smashing the door. The personnel also uprooted camps erected inside the premises.
It is worth noting that on Friday, the Lahore High Court granted a request made by Punjab IGP Dr Usman Anwar to search Imran’s Zaman Park residence as part of an investigation into attacks on police teams.
Earlier, in a video message, Imran said he was aware that the government would arrest him as he headed to the Islamabad court to attend the Toshakhana case hearing amid protracted efforts from law enforcers to apprehend him for missing previous hearings.
“I am going to court despite knowing they’ll arrest me because I believe in the rule of law,” he said in a video message posted on Twitter.
(IANS)
