ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief and former Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed that he will take action against Punjab police including “every single officer” who participated in the attack on his residence Zaman Park in Lahore, Dawn reported.
While addressing the nation, a day after a search operation was conducted at his residence after Khan visited the court, the former PM said that the officials broke into his house when his wife ‘Bushra Bibi’ was alone.
“I want to ask everyone, police, army officers, the judges of this country and the people [about] the respect of chaddor and char dewari in Islam,” Khan said.
He said he wanted to address the matter last night but could not. “It was good that I didn’t because I was angry. And a person should not talk when he is angry,” he added.
Imran further alleged that the officials carrying out the operation had looted his house and taken away everything they found. “Do you not have any shame?” he asked as he targeted Punjab Inspector General (IG) Usman Anwar and used choice words for him, according to Dawn.
Imran accused the Punjab IG of violating the orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC), saying that he had referred to an anti-terrorism court for obtaining a search warrant even when a high court judge had already laid out the procedure for conducting a search at Zaman Park.
“Even the ATC only allowed two officials to conduct the arrest. One was the SP and another was a female police officer not below the rank of an inspector,” he said.
After PTI chief Khan left for Islamabad Judicial Complex to appear before a court, the Punjab Police resumed an operation at the deposed prime minister’s residence, broke into his house, and arrested several party workers in the act.
In response, the former prime minister said it was “clear” that despite having gotten “bail” in the cases lodged against him, the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government intended to arrest him.
“It is now clear that, despite my having gotten bail in all my cases, the PDM govt intends to arrest me. Despite knowing their mala fide 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,” tweeted Khan.
“The assault on my house today was first of all a contempt of court. We had agreed that an SP with one of our people would implement a search warrant because we knew otherwise they would plant stuff on their own, which they did. Under what law did they break the gate, pull down trees and barge into the house heavily armed? Worse, they did this after I left to present myself before Islamabad court, & Bushra bibi, a totally private non-political person, was alone in the house. This is a total violation of the Islamic principle of sanctity of chadar and char diwari,” he tweeted.
A court in Pakistan on Saturday canceled arrest warrants for Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case, and adjourned the hearing till March 30, The Express Tribune reported.
Stating that the situation was not conducive to holding the hearing, Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal instructed the former prime minister Imran Khan to ensure his presence at the next hearing on March 30. (ANI)