Police resumes firing tear gas rounds at the defiant PTI workers
The face-off between police and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters continued on the second day on Wednesday as law enforcers made a fresh push to arrest party chairman Imran Khan from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
Police resumed firing tear gas rounds at the defiant PTI workers and supporters and there were reports of fresh skirmishes.
The standoff started a day earlier when a contingent of Islamabad police, led by DIG (Operations) Islamabad Shahzad Bukhari attempted to execute the non-bailable arrest warrants in the Toshakhana case.
The situation escalated after the police almost reached the gates of the PTI chief’s Zaman Park residence from where it was forced to retreat towards Mall Road.
The police action at Zaman Park sparked protests, which stretched from city to city, in an outpouring of anger that saw buildings set on fire and an aggressive response from the authorities, with at least five policemen, including DIG Operations Islamabad Shahzad Bukhari, and dozens of workers injured.
The turmoil was on display a short distance from Imran’s residence where he had called earlier in the day for his supporters to rally and urged supporters to come out following police’s use of tear gas and water cannons on supporters.
Hundreds of protesters mobilised on the streets of the nation’s capital as tensions ratcheted higher with an eruption of protests in Islamabad, Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Within hours of police proceeding to arrest the former premier, major arteries leading to Imran’s residence were choked even as authorities had blocked roads to his home.
An Islamabad police team approached the residence escorted by a heavy contingent of Lahore police, in the afternoon with Imran’s arrest warrants.
A large number of Anti-Riot Force (ARF) officials, equipped with anti-riot gear, tear gas shells and two water cannons were escorting the federal capital police. The team made announcements before proceeding further to Imran’s residence appealing to the workers not to obstruct their performance of duty.
Meanwhile, in a short video message, Imran urged his supporters to come out for real freedom as police had reached out to arrest him. “They think that after my arrest, the nation will fall asleep but you have to prove them wrong,” he underscored.
As skirmishes escalated, a helicopter was also engaged that remained busy in aerial surveillance of the surroundings, while the electricity supply in the area was also disconnected and the internet service was also suspended.
