NEW DELHI: Violent clashes erupted in several Pakistani cities, including Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore as the police surrounded former PM Imran Khan‘s residence on Tuesday. The police used tear gas and water cannons at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore. In response, Imran gave a call to his supporters to “come out” in solidarity. Islamabad DIG was injured in the clashes with Imran supporters, who hit the streets to protest the administration bid to arrest the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief in the Toshakhana case. Imran Khan arrest: Follow live updates What’s Toshakhana case? Toshakhana means treasury in Urdu. A government official has to hand over all the gifts received from foreign officials to the Toshakhana. The prime minister is allowed to retain certain gifts but only after paying a certain amount. Imran is accused of concealing the details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana. He allegedly earned $36 million by selling three watches gifted to him.
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Tear gas, water cannons: Imran Khan’s supporters clash with cops
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<p>Pakistani police scuffled with supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday as officers arrived outside his home to arrest him for failing to appear in court on graft charges.<br /></p>
<p>Police in Lahore planned to serve Khan with a warrant to appear in court later this week. The police operation triggered clashes between Khan’s supporters and police in the country’s major cities.<br /></p>
<p>They fired tear gas at the house as the 71-year-old opposition leader’s supporters hurled rocks and bricks at the officers.<br /></p>
<p>Pakistani police used water cannons and fired tear gas to disperse supporters of Imran Khan in Lahore. <br /><br /></p>
<p>About a dozen police and some 35 of Khan’s supporters were reported injured. Tear gas shells and pieces of bricks littered the pavement as Khan’s followers fought back with batons they had brought to resist police.<br /></p>
<p>More than 40 supporters of Khan were arrested for defying a government ban on holding rallies in the city, police said.<br /></p>
<p>Imran Khan accused the federal government of planning his arrest saying this is all part of a “London plan” to finish all cases against the country’s former premier Nawaz Sharif.<br /></p>
<p>He further stated that he doesn’t understand the reason behind the attack on people as he had already assured that he will be present in court on March 18.<br /></p>
<p>In Peshawar, a large number of PTI supporters demonstrated outside the press club. After holding the demonstration, PTI workers blocked Sher shah Suri road and started marching towards the Governor House.<br /></p>
<p>The protests broke out in Islamabad, Peshawar, and Karachi after Imran called on his supporters to “come out” following police’s use of tear gas and a water cannon on supporters outside Zaman Park.<br /></p>
<p>More contingents were called to PTI chairman’s Zaman Park residence — where a stand-off between party supporters and law enforcers has been going on for more than 14 hours — for Imran’s arrest.<br /></p>
<p>Video circulating on social media — much distributed by official PTI accounts — showed several bloodied supporters and others struggling to cope with tear gas. A PTI official tweeted that there was “an urgent need” for first aid kits at the Zaman Park neighbourhood.<br /></p>
<p>After 10 hours of clashes, police were no closer to arresting Khan and officers moved back at midnight as the number of Khan’s supporters grew.<br /></p>
<p>Two non-bailable arrest warrants were issued for the PTI chairman on Monday after he failed to appear in courts in cases linked to the Toshakhana reference and threatened a woman additional district and sessions judge.<br /></p>
<p>The 70-year-old ex-premier has been recovering from a gunshot injury from an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year and has skipped hearings in several cases.</p>
<p>Imran has thrice skipped indictment hearings in the case. He is accused of concealing, in his assets declarations, details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana — a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept.<br /></p>
He allegedly never deposited these watches and some other gifts to the Toshakhana. This is a violation of the rule that gives a Pakistani PM some privileges in retaining gifts from foreign officials. An arrest warrant It was for this alleged crime, a district and sessions court had issued an arrest warrant against Imran. The Islamabad High Court had last week suspended the arrest warrant, till March 13. As the high court order’s validity lapsed, the police headed to Imran’s Lahore residence, triggering a multi-city street fight between the security personnel and PTI members. There’s more In January, Pakistan’s Election Commission issued arrest warrants against Imran and other top PTI leaders for statements against it. Imran faces arrest for threatening a woman judge. A terror-related case was dropped against him after a court order. Imran reportedly has been named in 21 different FIRs in Pakistan. ‘My arrest part of London plan’ Imran Khan accused the federal government of planning his arrest saying this is all part of a “London plan” to finish all cases against the country’s former premier Nawaz Sharif. In a video message, Imran said, “This is part of the London plan and an agreement has been signed there to put Imran in jail, make the PTI fall and finish all cases against Nawaz Sharif.” He further stated that he doesn’t understand the reason behind the attack on people as he had already assured that he will be present in court on March 18. Imran told his supporters, “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.” Article Source
