Islamabad: The police on Sunday booked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and 17 other PTI leaders under the terrorism charges for violence during his appearance before the court in Thoshakhana case.
The police registered First Information Report (FIR) with the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station.
Taking to Twitter, Islamabad police claimed that a SSP Operations, SP Sadar and 52 other personnel injured during the operation due to stone pelting and petrol bombs. The police said that the PTI workers attacked the police from all sides and put 25 motorcycles and four police vans on fire.
It also said that the angry protesters burned the trees and the police check post in the area besides damaging the police vans.
The clashes started when the PTI chief reached Islambad’s judicial complex to attend the hearing of Thoshakhana case along with hundreds of party leaders and workers. The local authorities had imposed Section 144 to bar the gathering of the people and the given situation ignited clashes as the police tried to disperse the workers. The police efforts to disperse them furiated the PTI workers who started stone pelting and attacking the personnel with sticks. At this, the police took action, baton charged them and used tear gas.
The latest reports suggested that 15 vehicles of the police were damaged during the clashes while Lohi Behr Police Station’s van as well as vehicles bomb disposal squad were set on fire.
The sessions court, meanwhile, cancelled the arrest warrants of PTI Chief Imran Khan and summoned him for indictment on the next date of hearing fixed as March 30.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal passed the order as Imran Khan reached outside the judicial complex. The judge allowed Imran Khan to mark attendance and leave back to home. The judge sought arguments on maintainbility of the reference sent by the Election Commission of Pakistan against Imran Khan for retaining gifts from Thoshakhana.
Operation against Zaman Park:
As Imran Khan left for Islamabad to attend hearing of Thoshakhana case the Punjab police launched operation in Zaman Park. The footages showed that the police reached there along with cranes and heavy machinery. They showed that the police broke down the main gate of Imran Khan’s house and entered into it. Tree were also damaged during the operation. The police tortured the workers present there. However, the workers showed huge resistance, and as a result, some constables fell injured.
Inspector General of Police Dr. Usman Anwar addressed a press confernece and claimed that the police recovered weapons from Zaman Park–the residence of Imran Khan. He claimed that they also found bunkers inside there, saying that the CCPO Lahore finally completed the operation and responded well to the restrains on the previous operation.
“We have search warrants and we will execute them in accordance with the law,” said the IGP, saying that the police showed restrain and did not use force. The Punjab Police chief also claiemd that several constables were injured as the PTI workers attacked them with petrol bombs and stones.
He stated that they would check the licenses of the weapons from Zaman Park and would take action as per the law.
