New Delhi: Amid severe economic meltdown in Pakistan, the Islamabad Police arrived Sunday at Lahore’s Zaman Park area to arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan from his residence.
The Islamabad Police’s arrival to arrest Khan is in relation to warrants issued in the gift repository case against him. Khan has been accused of buying expensive gifts given to him in an official capacity at a discount from the state depositary, or the Toshkhana, and selling them for a profit when he was prime minister.
As the police descended on his residence, Fawad Chaudhary, Pakistan’s former federal minister for information and broadcasting and a leader from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, appealed to all supporters of the former cricketer to arrive at his residence in a show of support.
Islamabad police on Sunday traveled to Lahore to arrest PTI chief Imran Khan in relation to warrants issued in the gift repository case against him. Meanwhile, PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry has urged all PTI supporters to converge outside Imran's Lahore residence. pic.twitter.com/FDlqAcO9UE
— The Express Tribune (@etribune) March 5, 2023
Consequently, Islamabad Police tweeted that Imran Khan is trying to avoid arrest and that he wasn’t home when the cops arrived.
Meanwhile, Pakistani journalists posted photos of Islamabad Police’s notice declaring that the PTI chief wasn’t home.
Arrest Warrants for Imran Khan: @shiblifaraz says Imran Khan is not present at his Zaman Park residence. pic.twitter.com/svy9UwOUS2
— Mansoor Ali Khan (@_Mansoor_Ali) March 5, 2023
In a tweet Sunday, Michael Kugelman, the South Asia institute director at Wilson Centre, alluded to the political and economic upheaval Pakistan finds itself in currently.
“This is what happens when you’re experiencing simultaneous political and economic crises: Police arrive to arrest Imran Khan on the day before the resumption of critical talks between Pakistan’s government and the IMF. Never a dull moment these days,” he said in his tweet.
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Imran hits back
As the drama unfolded, Khan accused the current Pakistani establishment under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of corruption.
What future can a country have when crooks are thrust as rulers upon it? SS was about to be convicted by NAB for Rs 8 bn money laundering & by FIA for another Rs 16 bn corruption when he was rescued by Gen Bajwa who kept getting NAB cases trial postponed. While under trial he was
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 5, 2023
He also accused Sharif of undermining institutional independence,
“He (Shehbaz Sharif) has since proceeded to select heads of those institutions investigating his cases – first FIA & now NAB – simply to get his name permanently cleared in Rs 16 bn corruption & Rs 8 bn money laundering cases against him. This is how a country becomes a banana republic,” Khan said in another tweet.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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