World News | Police use water cannon, tear gas on Imran Khan supporters outside Lahore residence

Lahore, March 14 (PTI) Police on Tuesday fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse supporters of ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan who gathered outside his residence to prevent his arrest in the Toshakhana case .

Television footage showed police slowly approaching Khan’s residence in Zaman Park behind an armored vehicle that was using water cannon to disperse his supporters.

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A senior Islamabad police officer said his team was here to arrest the Pakistan Justice Instigation (PTI) chief in connection with Toshahana’s case.

Khan has been the target of buying gifts, including expensive Graff watches, which he received as prime minister at a discount from a state depository institution called Toshakhana, and selling them at a profit.

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Clashes broke out between police and PTI staff when the former approached Khan’s residence to arrest him. His supporters threw stones at the police. Khan’s party members and police officers were injured.

The party’s official Twitter handle earlier urged supporters and workers to gather outside their residences and “keep the peace”.

Crowds of PTI workers armed with sticks showed up outside the 70-year-old leader’s residence to resist the police operation.

The police blocked all the roads leading to the PTI chairman’s house by placing containers, and the riot officers took their positions and started the operation.

No matter what happens, Imran Khan will not surrender to the police in the fake case, Farukh Habib, a senior PTI leader, told reporters. “Arrest warrants for cases related to threatening female judges were suspended by the Islamabad High Court today. Let us see what new arrest warrants the police have now brought,” Habib said.

A Khan Party militant was killed on Wednesday during a crackdown on his supporters who gathered outside his Lahore residence in defiance of a government ban on gatherings in the city.

On Monday, Lahore police had registered Khan in a case related to the death of a PTI worker – Ali Bilal alias Zille Shah – in a traffic accident.

Earlier, Lahore police had registered Khan and 400 others with the FIR for the Shah’s murder. “The new FIR has registered Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry, Dr Yasmin Rashid and some other PTI personnel for abetting murder, concealing facts and evidence related to Zille Shah’s death,” a senior police officer told PTI.

Police may arrest Khan and others nominated in the FIR on instructions from “higher levels,” he said. PTI accused police of murdering Shah after brutally torturing him on March 8.

This is the 81st FIR against Khan since the PML-N-led federal coalition came to power 11 months ago after toppling his government through a no-confidence motion.

Khan led a march of thousands of supporters a day after he canceled his party’s election rally on Monday after the Punjab provincial capital banned public gatherings.

Supporters of the former cricketer-turned-politician hurled rose petals at the convoy carrying him to the shrine of Databa.

Khan was ousted last April after losing a no-confidence vote he claimed was part of a US-led plot against him because of his independence in foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.

Since his ouster, Khan has called for immediate elections to overthrow what he calls an “imported government” led by Prime Minister Sheikh Baz Sharif.

Sharif has insisted that elections will be held later this year once parliament completes its five-year term.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)