Islamabad Police Reach Imran Khan Home To Arrest Him, PTI Supporters Clash With Them

PTI supporters gathered outside the residence as police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

[Image used for representational purpose only] (Original Caption: Security personnel and supporters escort a vehicle carrying Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan during an election campaign rally for Punjab’s provincial assembly on March 13, 2023.)

Law enforcers and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters clashed after Islamabad police arrived outside Imran Khan's residence in Zaman Park, Lahore, in armoured vehicles on Tuesday to arrest the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief.

After police arrived outside the former Pakistan Prime Minister's residence, PTI's official Twitter account urged its workers and supporters to gather outside Zaman Park. Islamabad police resorted to water cannons, lathi-charge and tear gas to disperse PTI supporters outside Imran Khan's Zaman Park residence.

According to Dawn, as police approached ex- premier's residence behind an armoured vehicle some supporters threw stones at the police officers.

As per Geo News, Police have taken control of the main gate of Imran Khan's residence.

#BreakingNews : पाकिस्तान में इमरान समर्थकों पर पुलिस का लाठीचार्ज@ShobhnaYadava | https://t.co/smwhXUROiK #ImranKhan #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/kE7WWDxwGQ

— ABP News (@ABPNews) March 14, 2023

Islamabad Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Shahzad Bukhari told Dawn that officials have come to take Imran Khan into custody due to outstanding warrants but declined to provide details on the case in which the police were acting against him.

In the aftermath of the police's use of force outside Zaman Park, Shah Mahmood Qureshi of the PTI spoke to reporters and expressed his concerns. Qureshi stated that he had come to speak with the Islamabad DIG Operations but urged the police to refrain from escalating the situation.

According to Qureshi, the police claimed to have an arrest warrant, but he requested that they not exacerbate the situation. 

Qureshi called for a meeting and urged the police to communicate their orders directly to him. He further argued that the police's actions against the PTI workers were unfounded and demanded that the police cease their activities immediately.

بلاوجہ کارکنان پر واٹر کینن اور لاٹھی چارج مت کریں، ہم پرامن ہیں اور کسی طرح کا انتشار نہیں چاہتے۔ @SMQureshiPTI
#زمان_پارک_پہنچو pic.twitter.com/aXm5AdHdQ3

— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 14, 2023