New Delhi: Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has accused police officials of leading an assault at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore Saturday where he claimed his wife Bushra Bibi was alone at the time.
Khan, who is in Islamabad to appear before a court in connection with the Toshakhana case, condemned the police action and sought the basis for it.
Meanwhile Punjab police have led an assault on my house in Zaman Park where Bushra Begum is alone. 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.
“This is part of the London Plan where commitments were made to bring absconder Nawaz Sharif to power as quid pro quo for agreeing to one appointment,” Khan claimed.
In a video message on 15 March, Khan had alleged that the Shehbaz Sharif-led government was planning to arrest him as part of a “London plan” — an apparent reference to former PM Nawaz Sharif who has been living in self-imposed exile in the UK since 2019.
“This is part of the London plan and an agreement has been signed there to put Imran in jail, make the PTI fall and finish all cases against Nawaz Sharif,” Khan had said in a 2:50-minute-long video.
Meanwhile, Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), posted several videos on Twitter Saturday showing police personnel entering his Zaman Park residence where they can be seen hitting party workers inside the compound with lathis.
Worst kind of torture in Zaman Park right now. If something happens, will you paint it as accident again!? #چلو_چلو_عمران_کے_ساتھ pic.twitter.com/5S45UDVvMZ
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 18, 2023
While commenting on the alleged “assault” by police personnel, Punjab Information minister Amir Mir said the police arrived at Khan’s residence “to collect evidence”.
“When police arrived, the PTI activists tried to stop them by pelting stones and baton attacks. In retaliation, police arrested many of them. Police had already informed the PTI leadership about the evidence collection process,” Mir told news agency Reuters.
Khan, in a video message just before heading to Islamabad, had said he was going to the court despite knowing he would be arrested later today. “I am going to court despite knowing they’ll arrest me because I believe in the rule of law,” he said.
Stating that his convoy met with an accident en route to Islamabad earlier Saturday, the cricket-turned-politician wrote on Twitter, “It is now clear that, despite my having gotten bail in all my cases, the PDM govt intends to arrest me. Despite knowing their malafide intentions, I am proceeding to Islamabad & the court because I believe in rule of law. But ill intent of this cabal of crooks shd be clear to all.”
He further asserted that the Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan government’s intention was to “arrest him”. “It is also obvious now that the entire siege of Lahore was not about ensuring I appear before the court in a case but was intended to take me away to prison so that I am unable to lead our election campaign,” he added.
From inciting violence to illegal funds, Khan (70) is facing several cases lodged against him after he was ousted from power last year.
His appearance in the court in Islamabad is in connection with the Toshakhana case in which he has been accused of concealing his assets and details of the gifts he received and later allegedly sold. The Toshakhana is a government department in Pakistan that keeps track of and assumes custody of expensive items received as gifts by public servants.
Khan, who was the prime minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022, has been accused of buying and selling gifts worth over Rs 140 million ($635,000), in state possession that he received during visits abroad.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)