PTI ready for nationwide protests against Zaman Park operation: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry has asserted that his party was ready to stage nationwide protests against the police operation at Lahore’s Zaman Park, residence of former prime minister Imran Khan, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, the former information minister said that the party workers and supporters were waiting for Imran Khan’s call to stage protests across the country against the operation carried out at Zaman Park.

Fawad Chaudhry noted that all the roads leading to PTI Chairman’s residence were still closed as “we failed to reach the location”. He also criticized the government over ‘rising prices of edible items and petroleum products’, terming the regime ‘fascist’.

“The government is not concerned about the country, and its only agenda is to arrest Imran Khan”, the PTI leader claimed, adding that his party chairman represents Pakistan and that’s the reason the incumbent rulers want to detain him.

In apparent reference to PML-N senior vice president Maryam Nawaz, Fawad Chaudhry said that a woman, who never contested an election of a councilor, was dictating the government. “She said it is necessary to arrest Imran Khan”, he said, adding that the woman has hijacked the entire Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

He pointed out that Bushra Bibi – wife of Imran Khan – and household staff were present in Zaman Park at the operation. “The way police tortured people and broke the gates are on record”, he added.

The PTI leader further said that the Punjab police have violated the court orders, adding that a terms of reference (TOR) were signed between police and PTI in this regard. “IG Punjab held a press conference as the spokesman of the Punjab government”, he lambasted.

“The police had launched an operation at Zaman Park under an agenda – which was set by Maryam Nawaz”, he alleged.

Earlier in the day, the Punjab police broke into Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence.

The police arrested more than 13 PTI workers in the anti-encroachment operation at Zaman Park Lahore and one police constable also got injured in retaliation from the PTI workers.

It is pertinent to mention that the former prime minister Imran Khan left for Islamabad to appear before a district and sessions court in Islamabad in a case pertaining to the Toshakahan case.

The PTI leader is scheduled to appear before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zafar Iqbal.

Keeping in view the security threats, Islamabad Chief Commissioner Noorul Amin Mengal shifted the hearing from F-8 Court Complex to the Judicial Complex in G-11.