LAHORE: Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan Wednesday demanded an independent inquiry into the violence following his arrest last week as he distanced himself and his party from attacks on state and military installations.
He made the demand in an address to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers from his Zaman Park residence here via video link, as the government deployed police near his house and an operation to arrest lay a hand on him is expected any time soon.
Ahead of his address, Khan said in a tweet that police had surrounded his house in an upscale area of Punjab’s provincial capital Lahore and he could be arrested.
“Probably my last tweet before my next arrest. Police has (sic) surrounded my house,” the 70-year-old leader tweeted.
In his address, Khan said the ruling coalition is deliberately trying to create a conflict between his party and the powerful army.
“The cases that are being filed under military laws… it never happened before that without any investigation or independent inquiry. It was suddenly decided that PTI is a terrorist organisation,” Khan said, adding that 7,500 workers of his party have been arrested.
He said he criticises the army the same way he criticises his children, which is for reform.
“The Pakistan Democratic Movement is trying for a confrontation between the army and PTI…But who will come out as the winner in this?” he asked.
Khan said he has defended the Pakistan Army across the world.
“I was a known face. Name another Pakistani who defended the army the way I did on international media,” he asked.
“And I did it because I am a free man. I never accepted slavery.”
Recalling the incidents leading to the creation of Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan), Khan said, “I am afraid today that Pakistan is on the route to destruction.”
“I fear that if wisdom is not exercised today, we might reach a stage where we wouldn’t even be able to pick up the pieces,” he said.
Meanwhile, all the roads leading to Khan’s Zaman Park residence have been blocked by the police.
Video footage from the site showed a huge contingent of Punjab police outside his residence.
Khan, in a tweet, shared a video of what he claimed were “scenes outside my house while I was addressing the nation.”
In the video, a large contingent of policemen and dozens of police vehicles were seen moving in one direction.
Earlier, Punjab’s caretaker information minister Amir Mir had claimed that some ’30 to 40′ terrorists are hiding at the Lahore residence of Khan, giving him an ultimatum of 24 hours to hand them over or face stern action.
“We have received an intelligence report that some 30 to 40 terrorists who were involved in attacking the military installations, especially Lahore Corps Commander House on May 9, are hiding at the Zaman Park residence of Imran Khan. We give an ultimatum of 24 hours to Khan and his party to hand them over to police or face stern action,” Mir said at a press conference.
Mir, who is the brother of known anchor Hamid Mir, asked Khan to take this ultimatum seriously as the law enforcement agencies have the right to arrest the terrorists from his house.
Responding to Mir’s claim, Khan in his address said if police have search warrants they should come to him and he would hold the search of the house.
“But you want to storm into my house on the pretext that terrorists are hiding here,” Khan said.
The police in March had stormed the Zaman Park residence of Khan to arrest him but strong resistance of his party workers thwarted that plan.
PTI Senator Shibli Faraz has requested the media to be present at Zaman Park to witness the raid.
“Their plan is to bring unknown people inside Zaman Park to stage their arrest to show that we are harbouring delinquents,” he said.
Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum has warned that if the police opened fire at Zaman Park, “women will be the first to sacrifice their lives.”
“All Media is invited to Zaman Park. In their presence, Punjab police ( not exceeding 4 people ) can come with search warrants and search in the presence of the Media. All possible cooperation shall be extended to Punjab Police,” Khan’s aide Iftikhar Durrani tweeted.
The arrest of Khan on May 9 by the paramilitary Rangers at the Islamabad High Court premises triggered violent protests by his supporters across Pakistan.
For the first time in Pakistan’s history, the protesters stormed the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and also torched the Corps Commander’s house in Lahore.
Police put the death toll in violent clashes to 10 while Khan’s party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the firing by security personnel.
Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.
