LAHORE – Police on Saturday raided former prime minister Imran Khan’s residence in Zaman Park to arrest miscreants involved in clashes with police earlier this week and removed illegal camps that had made the part of the city a no-go area.
Police recovered assault rifles, bullets, petrol bombs and stones from the homes of the PTI Chairman during the operation, said Punjab IGP Usman Anwar in a press conference following the raid. He said 60 party workers were arrested during the operation.
The operation was launched hours after Khan left for Islamabad to attend the Toshakhana case hearing. The police official can be seen in the footages posted on Twitter barging into the Khan’s house.
The IGP said five Kalashnikovs and AK-47s were also found on Khan’s property. To a question, the IG said the legal status of the guns was being evaluated.
He said before the operation, the roads around the Zaman Park were blocked by placing the shipping containers, adding that water cannons, contingents of fully-equipped riot police, lady police, and prisoner vans were part of the operation.
The top policeman alleged that unknown person from inside the Khan’s house also made firing when personnel were conducting the operation.
Responding to a question, he said the search warrant was issued by the Administrative Judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court, adding that the operation was launched in line with the law.
Meanwhile, Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah says Zaman Park operation was conducted to clear the no-go areas and to arrest the miscreants hiding inside.
In an interview with a private news channel, he said the police were fired upon and pelted with stones from inside the house, which is regrettable. He claimed that in the course of the operation, weapons have been seized and slingshots used to pelt stones at the police were recovered from the house.
The interior minister said the recovery of weapons from inside the house shows the mindset of Imran Khan, who wants chaos and anarchy in the country.
‘Bushra Begum is alone there’: Imran Khan condemns police ‘assault’ at Zaman Park in his absence
