By M Zulqernain
LAHORE,
IN A temporary relief for Imran Khan, a Pakistani court Wednesday ordered the police to stop till Thursday its operation outside the former Prime Minister’s residence here to arrest him in a corruption case after a scuffle between the security personnel and his supporters. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Tuesday challenged the police operation in the Lahore High Court, requesting it to direct the Government to end it. On Wednesday, the police halted the operation after the Lahore High Court (LHC) summoned the Punjab Inspector-General, Chief Secretary and Islamabad Police (operations) head on the petition filed by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry seeking order for the Government to stop the police operation at the Zaman Park residence of Khan. “IGP Punjab Dr Usman Anwar appeared before the court and told it that police had to launch the operation as Islamabad police had brought an arrest warrant of Imran Khan in Toshakhana gifts case. We had to implement this order under law. He said, some 59 policemen have been injured during the clashes with the PTI workers,” a court official told PTI.
“The PTI advocate told the court that the sessions court Islamabad had issued the order to ensure the presence of Khan in the court on March 18 in the Toshakhana gifts case. Why police operation was launched to arrest him four days before, requesting it intervene to save human lives,” the official said. “The counsel informed that the IHC is hearing Khan’s petition. On this Justice Sheikh said let the IHC decide the matter and meanwhile the Government stop the police operation forthwith,” the official said.