Clashes erupted between supporters of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and police who had arrived at the former prime minister’s house to arrest him in Lahore on Tuesday.
Hundreds of supporters had gathered outside Zaman Park residence in support of Imran Khan. The police were there to arrest him on a court order in a corruption case.
Several were left injured from both sides after Islamabad police sprayed water cannons and tear gas on PTI supporters who, in response, pelted stones at them outside Khan’s residence.
Live TV footage showed PTI supporters also using sling-shots and attacking the police with sticks.
Amidst the ruckus outside his house, Khan released a video on his official Twitter handle asking the people to fight for their rights even if he is jailed or killed, while urging his supporters to hit the streets as the police moved to arrest him.
Shelling outside PTI Chief Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence | WION Dispatch
The police have arrived to arrest me. They think that if Imran Khan goes to jail, the people will go to sleep. You have to prove them wrong, you have to prove that the qaum (people) is alive.”
“You have to fight for your rights, you have to hit the streets. God has given Imran Khan everything. I am fighting your battle. I have fought all my life and will continue to do so. But if something happens to me, they put me in jail or kill me, you have to prove that you can fight even without Imran Khan. You have to prove that you will never accept this slavery and this rule by one man. Pakistan zindabad,” he said.
The former premier is accused of concealing, in his asset declarations, details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana – the treasury where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept. The case is known as the Toshakhana case.
Khan is accused of pocketing $36 million from selling three watches gifted to him. It is alleged that he never deposited some gifts in the treasury, violating the rule as a prime minister is allowed to retain the gifts only after paying a certain amount.
Last year in October, Pakistan’s election commission found the cricketer-turned-politician guilty of unlawfully selling gifts from foreign dignitaries.
The Federal Investigation Agency then filed charges against him in an anti-corruption court, which last week issued the arrest warrant against Khan as he had skipped summons to appear in court.
(With inputs from agencies)
