Imran warns of legal action over brutalities

-PTI Chief announces legal action against Police Officers involved in ‘attack’ on his Zaman Park residence
-Accuses Police of planning his assignation
-Pledges to hold rally at Minar-i-Pakistan on Wednesday
-PTI sees Maryam behind Zaman Park raid
-Police to present 102 detained PTI workers before Lahore ATC today

From Abid Usman

LAHORE: PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday said he would take legal action against Punjab police, including “every single officer” who participated in the “attack” on his Zaman Park residence in Lahore a day earlier.
A visibly irate Imran made the remarks while addressing the nation a day after hours-long clashes were reported between PTI workers and the capital police after the former prime minister arrived at the Federal Judicial Complex to attend a hearing in the Toshakhana case.
As Imran left his Za­­man Park residence to appear before the judge, a heavy contingent of police also launched a search operation at his house. Talking about the police operation at Zaman Park, Imran said officials broke down the gate and his walls while only his wife, Bushra Bibi, and a select few servants were present.
“I want to ask everyone, police, army officers, the judges of this country and the people [about] the respect of chaddor and char dewari in Islam.” He said he wanted to address the matter last night but could not. “It was good that I didn’t because I was angry. And a person should not talk when he is angry.”
He said that officials knew that Bushra Bibi, a woman who was not involved in politics, was home alone. “To do this at someone’s home, tell me what you would have felt. I am asking my army officers. What would you have felt?” he asked, posing the same question to police officials.
Imran alleged that officials carrying out the operation “looted” his home. “Is the police supposed to loot homes? They looted whatever they found. Do you not have any shame?” he asked as he targeted Punjab Inspector General Usman Anwar and used choice words for him.
He said that the PTI would initiate contempt proceedings in the LHC and also take legal action against Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi in connection with the death of Ali Bilal, alias Zille Shah, a worker of the PTI.

During the address, Imran also announced that the party would stage a power show at Minar-i-Pakistan — the same venue where he launched his campaign for the 2013 elections — on Wednesday (March 22), adding that it would be a “referendum” on where the nation stood.

“Now, we are doing Minar-i-Pakistan on Wednesday. And I want the whole country to see, it will be a referendum on where the public stands. Everyone will know where the nation stands, and where the cabal of crooks and their handlers stand,” he said.

Imran had earlier announced that the power show at Minar-i-Pakistan would take place Sunday (March 19) but the Lahore High Court had directed the PTI to reschedule its rally and have a dialogue with the administration.

In his address, Imran said that the country was “headed towards disaster” and the only way forward was conducting free and fair elections.

He said that the nation could not be controlled through force anymore as it had gained “consciousness”.

At the outset of his address, Imran asked what exactly his crime was, saying that the entire nation knew that he always respected the law. He alleged that 96 cases had been registered against him so far.

“Whenever I leave the house, more cases are registered against me. Who is doing this? The criminals responsible for doing this to the country are the ones registering cases against me.”

He alleged that the coalition government was behind the attempt on his life in Wazirabad, adding that they had the backing of “handlers”.

Giving a rundown of the past couple of weeks, Imran said that the elections in Punjab were announced for April 30, following which the PTI decided to initiate its election campaign by holding a rally in Lahore on March 8.

“On the night of March 7, it was decided with the police how the rally would proceed and they approved it. We got permission. The next day, as we are about to start, everyone starts saying that police contingents are here and placing containers.”

He said that as police appeared clad in riot control gear, it was revealed that Section 144 had been imposed in Lahore. “When elections have been announced, how can Section 144 be imposed? Has this happened before in Pakistan’s history?”

He said that when the rally started moving towards Zaman Park, police used water cannons and tear gas against PTI workers. Subsequently, he decided to cancel the rally by 5pm because “I knew that they are trying to cause the situation deteriorate”.

Imran further said that he asked for his hearing to be shifted from an Islamabad court due to security concerns. “F-8 kachery is a death trap,” he said, adding that arrest warrants were issued for him for this reason.

He said that a huge “army” arrived at his Lahore residence over warrants issued by a magistrate. “There were constant attacks here at my home. Has this ever happened before in the history of Pakistan?”

He asked that if he just had to mark his attendance in a court in Islamabad, why was his home being attacked from three sides. “Rangers were arriving in armoured vehicles, coming in after jumping over walls like some commando action is taking place.”

Imran said that he was ready to hand himself over to the police but he was stopped from doing so by his party workers who feared harm would befall the party chief.

“Yesterday, when I left my house, I said my goodbyes to my wife. I knew that I would either be arrested or killed. With that thought in mind, I left my home.”

He said that when he reached the toll plaza, police had closed down the motorway. “Only one lane was open. They had in mind that once my car leaves, they will close it behind me so that rest of the cars cannot follow the whole of Islamabad was closed down as if for a major criminal.”

He alleged that the police intended to either “murder” him or take him into custody and then shift him to Balochistan.

The PTI chief said police tear gassed workers that were walking alongside his car as they “wanted a reaction”. He said that once his car reached the judicial complex, police again tear gassed workers. “I didn’t want to leave or else they would have claimed I fled.”

He said that when he was at the gate, police also started beating the workers surrounding the car. “They were waiting for me to step out of the car and then kill me.”

The PTI lead­ership has strongly condemned the “state terrorism” launched at the residence of party chairman Imran Khan which they said was “part of a London Plan to eliminate him”.

As Mr Khan left his Za­­man Park residence in La­­hore on Saturday to appear before a judge in Islam­abad, a heavy contingent of police launched a search operation at his house.

Addressing a press conference at the party’s of­­fi­­ce, PTI leader Fawad Cha­udhry said the operation was part of the agenda set by PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz and aimed at arresting Mr Khan.

“A woman, who has never even contested a councillor’s election is setting the government’s agenda,” he said while referring to Ms Sharif’s Friday presser where she asserted that Mr Khan should be arrested.

He claimed the operation was in violation of the court orders and created an environment of anarchy across the country as PTI workers were pressuring the leadership to announce country-wide protests.

The PTI leader asked party workers to be ready for the final showdown and await Mr Khan’s instructions to launch the protests. Mr Chaudhry added that party leaders were going to Islamabad with Mr Khan but returned mid-way after the news of the “cowardly attack”.

The whole nation was suffering due to unprecedented inflation but the government’s only objective was to arrest the PTI chairman, he added.

Mr Chaudhry said the residence’s gates were razed with the help of excavators, while police officials scaled walls and tortured people inside the house. He said the operation was in sheer violation of the Lahore High Court’s orders as the police did not inform the court’s nominated focal person Imran Kishwar before the raid.

“I informed Punjab advocate general Security DIG, who acknowledged and stated that the message would be conveyed to the IG Police. Still, the operation was executed,” he lamented.

On Friday, the Lahore High Court allowed a request by the Punjab police chief to search Mr Khan’s Zaman Park residence for an investigation into attacks on police teams when they went to execute warrants issued by an Islamabad court for the PTI chief’s arrest.

On the other hand, A Lahore court on Sunday directed the police to present 102 detained PTI workers before an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) tomorrow, a day after they were arrested during the raid that took place at PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence when the police forced its way into his house.

Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Rasool of Lahore’s Cantt Katcheri court presided over the hearing today.

As Magistrate Ghulam Rasool directed the police to present the suspects before the ATC tomorrow because they had been booked on terror charges, he granted the police a one-day remand of the arrested PTI supporters.

Upon the hearing’s conclusion, the police took the suspects back amid high security.

Separately, unidentified PTI workers were booked on terror charges in a first information report (FIR) filed by a police official at Lahore’s Race Course police station.

Filed by Lahore Elite Force official Shehzada Ahmed Ali in the early hours of Sunday, the FIR accused PTI workers of stopping his government vehicle and raising slogans against state institutions.

It stated that as soon as the Elite Force’s car arrived at Canal Road near Zaman Park, “around 100-150 PTI workers armed with fire weapons [and] sticks came in front altogether and forcefully stopped the government vehicle”. The FIR alleged that the workers hit the car with sticks and caused great damage.