Zaman Park Operation: IG Punjab says police force was without firepower

LAHORE: Inspector General (IG) Punjab said that the police force was without any firepower during the arrest operation of PTI chairman Imran Khan at his residence Zaman Park, ARY News reported on Thursday.

As per details, the IG Punjab clarified that police forces from two provinces and people who wear a uniform can never fight with each other.

He said that the police will ensure the supremacy of the law but it should never be considered a weakness.

The IG Punjab maintained that this was planned earlier too that DIG will take the warrant to PTI chief Imran khan’s residence.

He refuted rumours about police weapons and clarified that throughout the operation the police had no weapons with them. 

The operation was stopped because of the PSL Match which the police secured properly, he added.

IG Punjab further said that when petrol bombs are thrown from the other side and stones are pelted too then the police fire shells.

Read More: Real intent behind arrest to ‘abduct, assassinate’: Imran Khan

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan claimed the real intent of the LEAs behind the entire episode was to “abduct and assassinate” him.

In a series of Tweets, Imran Khan had written: “Clearly arrest claim was mere drama because the real intent is to abduct & assassinate. From tear gas & water cannons, they have now resorted to live firing.”

Zaman park operation

Islamabad police along with Punjab police and Rangers launched an operation to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan after a district and sessions court issued his non-bailable arrest warrants for failing to attend the hearing in Toshakhana reference.

The court of ADSJ Zafar Iqbal restored non-bailable arrest warrants for Imran in the Toshakhana reference. It instructed the police to arrest the PTI chief and present him in court by March 18.

The Islamabad police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse PTI workers gathered outside party chief Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence.

On Wednesday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) stopped police operation at former premier Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence till 10 am (Thursday), putting a halt to day-long clashes that had erupted after police tried to arrest the PTI chairman in the Toshakhana case.

LHC’s Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh issued the order on a petition filed by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry seeking to stop the “atrocities” outside Zaman Park.

After the LHC order, Police and other law enforcers pulled back from former premier Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence.