Zaman Park clashes: Imran Khan booked under terrorism charges

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and deposed prime minister Imran Khan was booked in a terrorism case over violence in Zaman Park, ARY News reported on Thursday.

A case has been registered against the PTI chairman and other party leaders at the Race Course police station on the complaint of SHO. The FIR carries 20 Sections including Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The other section includes interference in state affairs, illegal gathering and refusing to receive court summons on the complaint of SHO Rehan Anwar.

The FIR stated the party workers and hundreds of supporters committed serious crimes at the nod of the former prime minister. It added that the PTI workers damaged state properties and used petrol bombs.

The violent clashes inflicted injuries on 63 policemen, including the DIG operations of the Islamabad police, it added.

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.