New Delhi: Days after a Pakistan court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case, the Islamabad police on Sunday (March 5, 2023) arrived at the former prime minister’s residence to arrest him. Police said SP City Rana Hussain went to the room at Tahir Khan’s Zaman Park residence where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief was expected to be – but he was not there when the police arrived.
Police said, “As per the orders of the court, a team of Islamabad Police has reached Lahore to arrest Imran Khan. All operations are being carried out with the cooperation of Lahore Police. Those obstructing the execution of court orders will be punished.” Legal action will be taken against him.” Said.
Imran Khan’s graffiti by Cali Penki – Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) March 5, 2023
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has been under fire for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch received as a premier at a discounted price from a government depository called Toshakhana, and selling them for profit.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that any attempt to arrest Khan would “seriously worsen the situation”.
He said, “I want to warn this incompetent and anti-Pakistan government not to put Pakistan in further trouble and act sensibly, the activists should reach Zaman Park.”
The development comes a day after most of the leaders and activists of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party – who were arrested for mass agitation against the failure of the federal government – in Pakistan’s Punjab province by court order But was released.
Over 600 PTI leaders and workers were arrested last month for the party’s ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ (court arrest agitation) against “violations of fundamental rights, misuse of the Constitution and economic slowdown in the country”.
Prominent leaders released from jail included PTI vice-chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, former finance minister Asad Umar, former Punjab governor Umar Sarfaraz Cheema, senators Azam Swati and Waleed Iqbal, and Zulfi Bokhar, a close aide of Khan.
On a petition by PTI, the Lahore High Court on Friday ordered the immediate release of the party leaders with the observation that they were not required in any criminal case.
After the nationwide agitation began on 22 February, more than 600 PTI people courted arrest from various cities in the Punjab province.
The PTI said the sole aim of its agitation was to force the government to announce the date for elections in accordance with the constitution in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), where the assemblies were dissolved in January.
PTI chief Imran Khan announced the withdrawal of the agitation following the Supreme Court’s decision to hold elections in both the provinces in 90 days.
Following a Supreme Court order, President Arif Alvi announced this week that elections to the provincial assembly in Punjab would be held on April 30.
Several PTI workers arrived at various jails to receive the party leaders and showered rose petals on them.
Former Foreign Minister Qureshi said that the 13-party government cannot stop Imran Khan from returning to power.
Imran Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a vote of no confidence in his leadership, in which he accused the US-led government of targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan. Was part of the conspiracy.
The PTI chief came to power in 2018 and is the only Pakistani prime minister to survive a no-confidence vote in parliament.
Since his ouster, Khan has been fighting for immediate elections to oust the “imported government” led by then Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Sharif has said that elections will be held later this year after the completion of the five-year term of the parliament.