The Lahore High Court (LHC) has stopped law enforcers from continuing the operation at Zaman Park to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan till tomorrow (Thursday) morning.
LHC’s Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, while hearing a petition filed by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry seeking to stop the “atrocities” outside Zaman Park, passed these orders.
Earlier, the court had instructed Punjab Inspector General Usman Anwar, the provincial chief secretary and Islamabad police (operations) head to appear in court by 3pm.
On Wednesday morning, Islamabad Police, backed by Punjab Police and Rangers resumed efforts — which began on Tuesday — to arrest the ex-premier in connection with the Toshkhana case. Imran has skipped indictment several times, which led to the judge issuing non-bailable arrest warrants for him.
However, they were met with strong resistance from PTI workers, who pelted stones at them. The police responded with volleys of tear gas.
After an hours-long back and forth — described by international media as “pitched battles” — the personnel pulled back to Mall Road, from where they cleared out. Dawn.com’s correspondent at the scene confirmed the developments.
As the LHC took up Chaudhry’s petition, Imran’s lawyer stated that what had happened outside Zaman Park today was a violation of fundamental rights.
“Imran’s residence has become a war zone. The police have been stationed there for the past 21 hours,” he said.
For his part, Punjab Advocate General Shaun Gill said that the matter was pending before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Fawad’s plea could not be heard in the LHC.
Justice Sheikh inquired about the Islamabad police official who was heading the operation to arrest Imran in Lahore and summoned him to court.
Here, the government’s lawyer said that the Islamabad advocate general represented the capital’s police.
“We have to fix this matter somehow,” the court remarked and warned that the court would issue arrest warrants for the Islamabad police official if he didn’t appear in court.
It also summoned the Punjab police chief and the provincial chief secretary.
When the officials appeared in the LHC, the government’s lawyer said that the Islamabad police official couldn’t appear in court, adding that the IHC had reserved its verdict on a PTI plea seeking cancellation of Imran’s arrest warrants.
The court then asked the Punjab police chief what was the solution to the present situation to which the latter replied that he was in a meeting with the Election Commission of Pakistan when the Islamabad police arrived in Lahore.
“The Islamabad police asked us for assistance and showed the arrest warrants. At first, 14 officers of ours were injured [in the operation] after which 300 more officials were deployed,” IG Anwar said.
He stated that 59 more policemen sustained injuries during the clash between PTI supporters and police. “We had decided none of the officials will use any weapons during the operation.
“We controlled the situation with the help of water canons and tear gas,” the Punjab police official told the court.
He further said that PTI supporters hurled stones at police vans, threw petrol bombs at officers and state machinery was set on fire. “Rangers was called in after this and only people who attacked the police were arrested.”
The chief secretary also said that the public suffered a lot during the entire episode.
For his part, PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the court that he was at Zaman Park when the operation had commenced. “PTI is a party that believes in the rule of law.”
He stated that he has made several attempts to talk to the head of operations of the Islamabad police but to no avail.
“The police promised a ceasefire but then they started shelling inside Imran Khan’s house,” Qureshi told the court. “In my opinion, the police want a tragedy.”
Here, Justice Sheikh remarked: “They [the PTI] have filed a plea in the IHC against the arrest warrants … until a decision comes, we can halt the police operation.
“I want peace in Lahore,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reserved its verdict on Imran’s petition seeking the cancellation of arrest warrants issued for him in the Toshakhana case.
