The Lahore High Court on Wednesday ordered Pakistan police to halt their bid to arrest former prime minister Imran Khan from his residence at Zaman Park in the Toshakhana case till 10 am Thursday.
The order came a day after a clash erupted between PTI workers and law enforcement agencies outside the house of the cricketer-turned-politician. The court reserved its judgment on a petition filed by Khan to suspend the arrest warrant in the corruption case under which police were seeking his arrest that led to pitched battles between the security personnel and his supporters in Lahore.
Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been in the crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana, and selling them for profit.
On March 13, Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal issued an arrest warrant for the 70-year-old Khan and instructed the police to present him before the courts on March 18.
Khan, who has been recovering from a gunshot injury from an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year, has skipped indictment hearings in these cases. He submitted an affidavit through his counsel that he would appear before the high court on the scheduled date.\nChief Justice Amir Farooq observed during the hearing that the court would issue an order to avoid conflict and ensure respect for the courts.\nThe court reserved the decision without giving a time when it would be announced.
Zaman Park area turned into a battleground on Tuesday after Khan's supporters engaged in violence with policemen to stop them from arresting the PTI chief in the Toshakhana case. Several people sustained injuries on both sides. Following the court order, police and other law enforcers withdrew from Khan's home on Wednesday.
Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China, and Afghanistan. Since his ouster, Khan has been asking for early elections to oust what he termed an & imported government led by prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.\nSharif has maintained that elections will be held later this year once the parliament completes its five-year tenure.
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