Punjab Police, Islamabad Police and Pakistan Rangers still in clash with PTI supporters outside Imran Khan’s residence in Lahore to arrest Imran Khan after warrant issued to bring Imran Khan to court.
Punjab Police, Islamabad Police and Pakistan Rangers enters Imran Khan’s house in Zaman Park to arrest the former Prime Minister Imran Khan on March 14, 2023. Pakistan Police used water cannon and tear gas to push back supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan who have gathered outside his house to prevent officers from arresting him.
Khan was ousted from office by a no confidence vote last year, and has been snarled in a series of legal cases as he campaigns for early elections and his return to office.
It is the second time in recent weeks that police have been despatched from the capital Islamabad to Khan’s home in the eastern city of Lahore to serve an arrest warrant after he skipped several court dates linked to a corruption case citing security concerns.
Punjab police called Pakistan Rangers for support to disperse Imran Khan’s supporters who were around his residence in Lahore. Police used helicopters for surveillance of Imran Khan’s house in Lahore and tear gas is now fired inside Imran Khan’s house in Lahore.
With signs bearing the 70-year-old opposition leader’s arrest order, police used a water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowds as they tried to get to Khan’s home.
Khan made a video statement inside the home and posted it to Twitter.
“Police are here to take me to jail,” he said. They think that if Imran Khan is imprisoned, the country will fall asleep. Imran Khan is expected to be arrested today any time today. The Imran Khan arresting decisions comes after his announcement of doing a big Jalsa in Lahore as a start of his election campaign for Punjab Elections.
We want to be peaceful, PTI deputy leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi told media in Lahore. Qureshi demanded police should deliver the arrest warrant to him and said he would “try to find a solution to avoid bloodshed”.