Islamabad— A Lahore court has ordered the two-day arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan to stop until Thursday am. When an Islamabad court issued an arrest order to ensure his court appearance by March 18, security agents sought to arrest the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader on Tuesday afternoon. Khan has avoided state gift hearings. But, hundreds of Khan’s fans gathered outside his Lahore Zaman Park home to prevent his arrest. Khan supporters flung stones and security police shot tear gas and water cannon, injuring dozens.
After a PTI plea, the Lahore High Court halted the operation till 10am on Thursday (05:00 GMT). PTI petitioned the Islamabad High Court to quash the non-bailable arrest warrant. Khan was ordered to promise to appear before a lower court on March 18. The Lahore court’s ruling followed security officers’ withdrawal from Khan’s home. Provincial authorities claimed the pullout was made to allow a Lahore cricket match later Wednesday. PTI supporters celebrated preventing Khan’s arrest for a second day outside Khan’s mansion, which was quiet yet tense. Khan has before accused the government of trying to disqualify him from running. “What is this warrant police is here for?” said the cricketer-turned-politician. All this shelling, as though a terrorist is hiding. Among empty tear gas rounds, he said, “What is this?” Khan, who was prime minister from 2018 to April 2018, when he lost a vote of confidence in parliament, said he had signed a surety bond to appear in court by March 18 but that the police refused to take it. “By law, once surety is given to the arresting officer, the police should have recognized that I had indicated my desire to attend to court and discontinue attempts to arrest me, but they did not.”
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Gilgit-Baltistan police attacked Pakistan Rangers and other security forces during Khan’s detention. Khan’s PTI governs northern Pakistan’s independent Gilgit-Baltistan. “PTI deployed its thugs together with Gilgit-Baltistan police to assault and defy the police writ,” Aurangzeb told a press conference in Islamabad. “It cannot go on that the police goes to execute a court’s order, yet the court continues to award relief to Khan,” Aurangzeb added.
