More contingents have reached PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence where a stand-off between party supporters and law enforcers has been going on for more than 20 hours for the arrest of former prime minister in Toshakhana case.A tense situation prevailed in Lahore in the early hours of Wednesday as police made a fresh attempt to arrest former prime minister Imran Khan but they were facing resistance from hundreds of his supporters gathered outside his residence in Zaman Park Lahore.

Police and security personnel made a fresh attempt to arrest the former premier in connection with the Toshkhana case early morning on Wednesday.  For more than 15 hours, PTI workers engaged the Islamabad police aided by their Punjab counterparts and later Rangers personnel in pitched battles that continued late into the night with no signs of relenting. So far, the police have suffered around 30 casualties during the clash, while at least 15 PTI men have been detained.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and supporters on Tuesday night took control of Zaman Park Lahore following hours-long face-off with police, who arrived to arrest former prime minister Imran Khan. The police failed to arrest the former premier despite the passage of 19 hours as PTI workers laid siege to the path leading to Imran Khan’s residence as well as Canal Road.

After the deployment of Rangers, the PTI chairman, in a series of tweets on Wednesday claimed that the “real intent is to abduct and assassinate him” as the police have “now resorted to live firing”.“From tear gas & water cannons, they have now resorted to live firing. I signed a surety bond last evening, but the DIG refused to even entertain it. There is no doubt of their mala fide intent,” he said. In another video shared on PTI’s Twitter account in the wee hours of Wednesday, the PTI chief said that his arrest was part of the “London plan”.

The former prime minister also claimed that in order to “avoid anarchy”, he had signed an undertaking and his counsel Ishtiaq A Khan tried presenting the surety to the Islamabad police deputy inspector general (DIG) sent to arrest him. In a statement on Tuesday the Islamabad police spokesperson said that they have reached Lahore to arrest PTI chief on court orders. Later, party workers and police officials clashed outside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore. The Islamabad police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse PTI workers gathered outside party chief Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP