Imran Khan, who was removed from government in a legislative vote at the beginning of last year, has been calling for an immediate election and organising protest marches across the country. Since Khan avoided being arrested twice in the Toshakhana case against him, there have recently been large-scale protests in Lahore. Everything you need to know about Imran Khan’s arrest is provided below.
The roadways in Lahore’s Zaman Park neighbourhood are littered with tear gas shells, burning tyres, and automobiles after Imran Khan supporters fought bloody clashes on Tuesday. Many police officers were hurt during that clash more than 11 hours. Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters struggled with law enforcement to prevent them from detaining the deposed Pakistani prime minister.
A group of Islamabad police officers arrived at Khan’s Lahore home in armoured cars to make the arrest after a non-bailable warrant was issued in the continuing Toshakhana (gift depository) case against him.
Expecting the worst, PTI leaders, including Khan himself, called to party workers to rush to Zaman Park, to serve as human shields and stand between Khan’s mansion and the police regiment to stop the arrest.
The following details Imran Khan’s involvement in controversy and why the police are seeking him:
How is Imran Khan’s Arrest Linked to Toshakhana?
The Toshakhana is a section where valuable gifts given to public officials are kept. Public employees and officials are required by department rules to report any such materials they receive. Yet, the President and the prime minister of the country are allowed to retain pricey gifts from the department.
The guidelines specify that the presents chosen to be kept must be less than Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 30,000. If the President and the Prime Minister decide to keep items that are more expensive than the allotted sum, they must pay a portion of the value determined by the government.
Reasons POLICE is Arresting IMRAN KHAN:
Investigations revealed Imran Khan’s concealment of his asset declarations and the specifics of the presents he kept from the Toshakhana, leading to the issuance of a non-bailable warrant for his arrest. Imran Khan was charged with making $36 million through the sale of three watches that were given to him.
Imran Khan was accused of not depositing some gifts in the treasury, which was viewed as a violation as the Pakistani prime minister can only keep gifts after paying a set sum.
What Has Happened So Far About Protests, Possible Arrests Of Imran Khan?
Lahore Police arrived at Zaman Park on Tuesday, to arrest Imran Khan. Due to widespread rallies by PTI supporters, Khan managed not to get arrested for the second time in less than 10 days.
The former prime minister Imran Khan allegedly climbed the wall of his Lahore home the day after to avoid being apprehended in the Toshakhana case, according to Pakistan’s interior minister Rana Sanaullah.
The private news channel ARY TV was yanked off the air for airing Imran Khan’s speech a day earlier, and Pakistan’s media authority also prohibited broadcasts of his remarks.
As per recent reports, law enforcement agencies have been pulled back from former Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s residence in Lahore on Wednesday. This made the PTI supporters outside Zaman Park cheered and they celebrated ‘chasing Rangers away’.
Earlier in the morning, the police and Rangers continued efforts – which started yesterday, on Tuesday – to arrest the PTI chief in connection with the Toshakhana case. However, the strong resistance from PTI workers finally won. The Lahore High Court stopped the arrest operation at Zaman Park till 10 am on Thursday.
Protests spread across major cities in Pakistan, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Karachi, after Khan urged his supporters to continue the fight against the government.