The face-off between police and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters continued on the second day on Wednesday as law enforcers made a fresh push to arrest party chairman Imran Khan from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
Police resumed firing tear gas rounds and used water cannons against defiant PTI workers and supporters as fresh skirmishes broke out after law enforcers intensified their activities in the now more than 20-hour-long operation to arrest the PTI chief.
Many PTI supporters have been taken into custody.
CCPO Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana and DIG Operations Lahore Afzal Kausar have also reached the area to lead the operation. A large contingent of Punjab Rangers – in riot gear – is assisting the police.
On Tuesday night, the provincial government had sought three companies of Punjab Rangers to reinforce the police contingent.
The official PTI Twitter handle stated that open firing had begun by the Rangers and police with Imran’s residence under “extreme attack”.
Videos showed “bullet marks” on the gates of Zaman Park, as the party claimed that “tyrants” were “once again going to the extremes of cruelty”.
Rangers are also present at Mall Road near the former premier’s Zaman Park residence – blocking access to the area. A traffic warden post and some vehicles have been torched.
According to Express News, mobile and internet services have been suspended in the Zaman Park neighbourhood and nearby areas. Educational institutions located around Mall Road remain closed while an emergency has been imposed in hospitals.
‘Arrest mere drama’
Meanwhile, Imran Khan alleged that the “arrest claim was mere drama because [the] real intent is to abduct and assassinate”.
He added that after tear gas and water cannons, the police had “resorted to live firing”.
Clearly “arrest” claim was mere drama because real intent is to abduct & assassinate. From tear gas & water cannons, they have now resorted to live firing. I signed a surety bond last evening, but the DIG refused to even entertain it. There is no doubt of their mala fide intent. pic.twitter.com/5LZtZE8Ies
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 15, 2023
“I signed a surety bond last evening, but the DIG refused to even entertain it. There is no doubt of their mala fide intent”.
In a series of tweets, the PTI chief stated that there were “Rangers taking over” and in “direct confrontation with the people”.
He asked the establishment “who claimed to be neutral” if this was their idea of “neutrality”.
“Rangers directly confronting unarmed protestors and leadership of the largest political party when their leader is facing an illegal warrant and case already in court and when [a] government of crooks [is] trying to abduct and possibly murder him?”
to those who claim they are “neutral”: Is this your idea of neutrality, Rangers directly confronting unarmed protestors & ldrship of largest pol party when their ldr is facing an illegal warrant & case already in court & when govt of crooks trying to abduct & possibly murder him?
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 15, 2023
Police attempt to arrest Imran on Tuesday
The standoff started a day earlier when a contingent of Islamabad police, led by DIG (Operations) Islamabad Shahzad Bukhari attempted to execute the non-bailable arrest warrants in the Toshakhana case.
The situation escalated after the police almost reached the gates of the PTI chief’s residence from where it was forced to retreat towards Mall Road.
Read Imran asks supporters to ‘carry on struggle’ even if killed or arrested
The police action at Zaman Park sparked protests, which stretched from city to city, in an outpouring of anger that saw buildings set on fire and an aggressive response from the authorities, with at least five policemen, including DIG Operations Islamabad Shahzad Bukhari, and dozens of workers injured.
The turmoil was on display a short distance from Imran’s residence where he had called earlier in the day for his supporters to rally and urged supporters to come out following police’s use of tear gas and water cannons on supporters.
Hundreds of protesters mobilised on the streets of the nation’s capital as tensions ratcheted higher with an eruption of protests in Islamabad, Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Within hours of police proceeding to arrest the former premier, major arteries leading to Imran’s residence were choked even as authorities had blocked roads to his home.
An Islamabad police team approached the residence escorted by a heavy contingent of Lahore police, in the afternoon with Imran’s arrest warrants.
A large number of Anti-Riot Force (ARF) officials, equipped with anti-riot gear, tear gas shells and two water cannons were escorting the federal capital police. The team made announcements before proceeding further to Imran’s residence appealing to the workers not to obstruct their performance of duty.
Meanwhile, in a short video message, Imran urged his supporters to come out for real freedom as police had reached out to arrest him. “They think that after my arrest, the nation will fall asleep but you have to prove them wrong,” he underscored.
As skirmishes escalated, a helicopter was also engaged that remained busy in aerial surveillance of the surroundings, while the electricity supply in the area was also disconnected and the internet service was also suspended.