Punjab Police said on Saturday that it found assault rifles, bullets, petrol bombs and other ammunition from Zaman Park during a raid operation.
In a press conference held after conducting the raid on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s residence in Lahore, IG Punjab Usman Anwar stated that police stopped the previous operation due to a court order and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) match.
He stated that petrol bombs were used on police when it conducted operation earlier during the week.
“This time around, Punjab Police had a search warrant for Zaman Park and it remained within legal limits,” he said.
Now, the operation was launched once again and “court told us to get a search warrant to enter the house”.
“However, we had registered FIRs against the miscreants who attacked police with stones, sticks and petrol bombs and damaged the vehicles,” he said. “We prepared a list of miscreants and arrested them today. We faced resistance again but we cleared the area and arrested people.”
He stated that lady police officers assisted the law enforcement and served the warrant to residents of Zaman Park.
He clarified that last operation could not be completed because police had no bullets.
As Imran left Lahore to attend the Toshakhana case hearing in Islamabad court, Punjab Police launched another operation on his Zaman Park residence and made their way inside the premises.
Imran strongly condemned the attack and said, “Punjab police have led an assault on my house in Zaman Park where Bushra Begum is alone”.
Toshakhana case: Imran leaves for Islamabad to appear before court
In a tweet, he asked “under what law are they doing this? This is part of London Plan where commitments were made to bring absconder Nawaz Sharif to power as quid pro quo for agreeing to one appointment”.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tweeted “if anyone had any doubt, Imran Niazi’s antics of the last few days have laid bare his fascist and militant tendencies”.
“From using people as human shields to throwing petrol bombs at police to leading ‘jathas’ to intimidate judiciary, he has taken a leaf out of the RSS book.”
According to reports, police arrested 60 PTI workers after breaking down the main gate of Zaman Park residence. Inside, the police baton charged the remaining PTI workers.
Police officials stated that the workers had injured and thrown petrol bombs at law enforcement officials in a prior operation and “we are conducting the operation to arrest the miscreants”.
Two water cannons and four prisoner vans were called to the Zaman Park residence. As per Aaj News, police wants to arrest all PTI workers in Imran’s residence. Police also used tear gas against party supporters.
Hours-long clashes with PTI supporters as police attempt to arrest Imran Khan
Police sealed all entries and exits and they will use water cannons if PTI supporters resist arrest.
In a tweet, PTI leader Hammad Azhar said “Imran Khan’s residence attacked by police in clear defiance of court orders”.
“Meanwhile, heavy police deployment in Islamabad has surrounded and cut of Imran Khan’s motorcade who is on his way to attend a court hearing. This is now worse than Martial Law.”
Previous operation
On Tuesday, police launched an operation in Zaman Park residence to arrest Imran in relation to Toshakhana case.
While the arrest was not yet made after 22 hours of clashes, multiple cities had erupted with protests with party supporters gathering in droves to condemn the police operation against Imran.
Meanwhile, Imran said on Saturday that “despite my having gotten bail in all my cases, the PDM government intends to arrest me”.
“Despite knowing their malafide intentions, I am proceeding to Islamabad and the court because I believe in rule of law. But ill intent of this cabal of crooks should be clear to all.”
He added that it is also obvious now that the entire siege of Lahore was not about ensuring I appear before the court in a case but was intended to take me away to prison so that I am unable to lead our election campaign.