Security officers escort former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan as he appears at the Lahore High Court, Lahore, Pakistan May 19, 2023. , photo credit: Reuters
Media reports said that the Punjab Police in Pakistan on Friday arrived at the Zaman Park residence of former Prime Minister Imran Khan to conduct a search operation to find “terrorists”.
According to Dawn newspaper, the delegation included Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa, Lahore Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider, DIG Operations Sadiq Dogar and SSP Operations Sohaib.
The report added that the team will meet Mr Khan and hold talks with him.
The move comes hours after the Punjab Police obtained a warrant to conduct detailed searches at Mr Khan’s residence.
Punjab Information Minister Aamir Mir said that hundreds of policemen would conduct the search operation. dawn Newspaper reported.
According to the statement, the Dawn newspaper reported that the searches would thoroughly check both the entry and exit points of the residence, with the main objective being to find “terrorists” hiding at the place.
On Wednesday, the Punjab government claimed that “30 to 40 terrorists were hiding inside Khan’s residence,” and gave his party a 24-hour ultimatum to hand over the miscreants.
However, no action was taken after the deadline expired on Thursday.
Geo TV reported that Mr. Mir said law enforcers would conduct a search operation at Khan’s residence to nab “terrorists” after Khan’s permission and in front of cameras.
“We [the interim government] Have decided that instead of a face-to-face confrontation, we will send a delegation to Khan Sahib under the supervision of the Lahore commissioner,” Mir was quoted as saying in the report.
“They’ll ask him [Khan] So that they can run the search operation. A police team – comprising 400 personnel – will accompany the delegation as there is information about the presence of terrorists there.”
Meanwhile, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Bilal Saddiq Kamyana claimed to have arrested six more “terrorists” trying to escape from Mr Khan’s Zaman Park residence.
An anti-terrorism court here on Friday granted pre-arrest bail till June 2 to the former prime minister of Pakistan in three terrorism cases.
In a video-link address from his Zaman Park residence here on Wednesday, 70-year-old Mr. Khan said Pakistan was heading towards an imminent disaster and may face disintegration.
The arrest of Khan by the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers at the Islamabad High Court complex on 9 May sparked unrest in Pakistan.
For the first time in Pakistan’s history, protesters stormed the Army Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and set ablaze a corps commander’s house in Lahore.
Police put the death toll in the violent clashes at 10, while Khan’s party claimed 40 of its workers were killed in firing by security personnel.
On Monday, top military officials vowed to bring to justice the arsonists who attacked civilian and military installations through trials under the country’s relevant laws, including the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act.
Law enforcement agencies have arrested over 7,000 PTI activists across Pakistan, of which 4,000 are from Punjab.
Meanwhile, the Lahore police claimed to have arrested 14 “terrorists” who were trying to escape from Khan’s Zaman Park residence.
Cricketer-turned-politician Khan was ousted from power in April last year after he lost a vote of no confidence in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia. was part of. , China and Afghanistan.