The remarks came after police failed to arrest Imran Khan on Tuesday.
Punjab:
After failing to arrest former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, Punjab Provincial Police Inspector General Usman Anwar has warned his party’s activists against tougher action if they continue to resort to violence in their attempt to stop his team from arresting Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, The News International reported.
The IG further stated that violent protesters would be apprehended using CCTV footage as damaging public property and setting fire to police vehicles fell under the Terrorism Act and such protesters would be tried under that law. .
The remarks came after police failed to arrest Imran Khan on Tuesday.
The IGP said on Tuesday that Islamabad Police under DIG Operations ICT Shahzad Bukhari had arrived in Lahore to arrest the PTI Chairman for complying with the non-releasable arrest warrant issued against him by the Judge of additional Zafar Iqba sessions, according to The News International.
Lahore police have been asked to accompany the Islamabad police team to comply with court orders, he added.
Anwar said that when the police forces reached the former Prime Minister’s house located in Zaman Park in Lahore, protesters started throwing stones at the forces, leaving dozens of law enforcement officers from the Punjab police, including DIG Islamabad operations, injured, The News International reported.
More Punjab Police personnel were tasked to reach Zaman Park and help carry out court orders to arrest the PTI chairman, but party workers attacked law enforcement with sticks and pelted them with stones, leaving them injured.
In the latest development, the Lahore High Court has halted the police operation to arrest Imran Khan until 10am tomorrow at Zaman Park, Dawn reported.
The development comes after a day-long escalation that continued between PTI supporters and law enforcement outside former Prime Minister Imran’s residence.
Large contingents of police who had been closing in on Pakistani President Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan’s residence in Zaman Park to arrest him over the past two days have begun to retreat.
PTI workers celebrated outside Zaman Park as law enforcement retreated. According to police, the court-ordered operation was halted to host Pakistan Super League matches, Dawn reported.
“Police will not advance towards Khan’s residence until the ongoing Pakistani Super League (PSL) 8 cricket match is completed,” a source quoted police officials as saying.
Earlier, the court ordered the Inspector General of Punjab, Chief Secretary and Chief of Police (Operations) of Islamabad to appear in court by 3pm, Dawn reported.
On Wednesday morning, Islamabad police, backed by the Punjab Police and Rangers, resumed efforts that began on Tuesday to arrest the ex-prime minister in connection with the Toshkhana case. Imran repeatedly skipped the indictment, leading the judge to issue him non-releasable arrest warrants.
However, they encountered strong resistance from the PTI workers, who threw stones at them. The police responded with volleys of tear gas.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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