Police visit Imran Khan's home in Pakistan to arrest him, unable to locate him
On Sunday (March 5), Pakistani police attempted to arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Islamabad officers visited Khan’s home in Lahore, which was swarmed by hundreds of his supporters, but were ultimately unsuccessful in locating him.
Islamabad police released a tweet stating, “A team of Islamabad police has arrived in Lahore to arrest Imran Khan to comply with the court orders.”
عمران خان گرفتاری سے گریزاں ہیں۔ ایس پی صاحب کمرے میں گئے ہیں مگر وہاں عمران خان موجود نہیں۔ ٹیم عمران خان کی گرفتاری کےلیے پہنچی ہے۔
— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) March 5, 2023
According to the Superintendent of Police, Imran Khan was not present in the room when officers attempted to arrest him, as he is currently facing a corruption case and failed to appear before the court on February 28.
The allegations against Khan involve his supposed failure to declare gifts received during his time in office and the profit made from selling them, which government officials are required to declare.
Despite the arrest warrant, Khan spoke to party workers at his Zaman Park home in Lahore, where police remained stationed outside.
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Khan’s vice chairman, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, has stated that the notice received from Islamabad police did not contain any orders for arrest and that they will be consulting lawyers to follow the legal process. However, Pakistan’s courts have often been criticised for stifling political opposition by engaging lawmakers in lengthy legal proceedings.
Imran Khan, who was shot during a rally last year, has been actively disrupting politics in Pakistan since his no-confidence vote in April. He has been pushing for early elections by holding protests, dissolving provincial assemblies, and withdrawing from parliament.
Why is Imran Khan in trouble?
In August 2022, the Toshakhana controversy gained prominence when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) coalition government filed a case against Imran Khan, alleging that he failed to disclose information on gifts received by Toshakhana and the profits made from the “illegal” sale of some of these gifts.
Toshakhana is a department under the Cabinet Division that has been in existence since 1974. It is responsible for storing expensive items and gifts received by public officials. The department’s rules require officials to report all gifts and materials received to the Cabinet Division.
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However, after coming to power in 2018, Imran Khan refused to disclose information about the numerous gifts he received during his tenure, citing concerns that it could harm relations with other countries. This led to the controversy surrounding Toshakhana.
With Pakistan’s economy in dire straits and bailout talks with the IMF stalling, the political situation in the country remains volatile.
(With agency inputs)