Police use water cannons, tear gas to disperse PTI workers to arrest Imran Khan

Lahore: The Islamabad police and the PTI workers came face to face outside the residence of party chairman Imran Khan in Zaman Park on Tuesday.

The police had reached there to arrest Imran Khan.

However, the workers stood there and did not allow police to reach their leader till writing of these lines. The situation turned serious after which the police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the workers gathered outside the residence of Imran Khan.

Fascism is at its peak by this regime! We have always directed our workers to remain peaceful, as they want clashes and blood! #Fascist_PDM pic.twitter.com/EZ9c4Aax9P

— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 14, 2023

According to the reports, police said they had come there to comply with the court notices and arrest warrants issued for the PTI Chairman after he failed to turn up before the court in Toshakhana case.

They’re shelling Imran Khan’s house too, a leader who requested everyone to stay peaceful and patient. Democracy seems to be suspended in the country, no? #زمان_پارک_پہنچو pic.twitter.com/nBuen0MYQc

— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 14, 2023

Imran Khan was due before the court on Monday (yesterday) but he led the party rally in Lahore along with thousands of workers and supporters from Zaman Park to Data Darbar.

Earlier, the court had directed Imran Khan to appear before it on March 18

The spokesperson of Islamabad police said that they reached Lahore to arrest Imran Khan in compliance of the court orders.

PTI Senior vice-president Fawad Chaudhry said that the arrest warrants against Imran had been challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The hearing of the plea, he said, was likely to start soon.

Musarrat Jamshed Cheema said that they gave countrywide protest call against the police brutality.

پاکستان تحریک انصاف نے کارکنان کو ملک بھر میں احتجاج کی کال دے دی #زمان_پارک_پہنچو pic.twitter.com/4Y5agYAOxe

— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 14, 2023

The Islamabad police on March 5 had reached Zaman Park to arrest Imran but they could not do so as the PTI chief foiled the attempt.

The cause of the action is the decision of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in which former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan was disqualified in the Toshakhana reference under Article 63(1)(p).

The ECP had held, “As per the statement of Imran Khan he had purchased the gifts from Toshakhana paying 21.564 million rupees while the Cabinet Division said that the gifts had a value of 107.943 million,”.

It had also held, “The amount in his bank account was around half of the value of the state gifts. Imran Khan was bound to declare the cash and bank details in his returns but he didn’t declare it,”.

“Imran Khan being declared disqualified and unseated from his National Assembly seat,” the ECP said, adding: “He has been disqualified under Article 63, 1(P), over submitting a false statement and declaration”.

The ECP ruled that the former premier was found to be indulged in corrupt practices under sections 167 and 173 of the constitution. “A criminal proceeding will be initiated against him over filing a false statement.”

It also held that Imran’s disqualification under Article 63, 1(P) was  for his current parliament membership.