(MENAFN) Local police raided the residence of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in the city of Lahore on Saturday while he was en route to Islamabad to appear in court. However, the police detained dozens of members of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
According to videos aired on local TV channels, the authorities, supported by heavy police contingents, razed the camps of Khan's supporters outside his residence and its main gate in the Zaman Park neighborhood to gain access to the premises.
Khan wrote on Twitter, "Punjab police have led an assault on my house in Zaman Park where Bushra Begum (Khan's wife) is alone." This raid comes after police attempted to arrest Khan on February 5 but were unsuccessful due to resistance from his supporters at his residence.
The police carried out the raid after Khan and hundreds of his supporters left for Islamabad to appear before Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbalin, where he is expected to be indicted in a case involving the purchase and sale of gifts he received from foreign dignitaries while he was prime minister. The country's Election Commission has filed a complaint against him for allegedly concealing details of gifts in his asset declarations.
The incident highlights the ongoing political tensions in Pakistan, with Khan's supporters alleging that the raid was politically motivated and aimed at suppressing dissent. It remains to be seen what action, if any, will be taken in response to the raid and whether it will affect Khan's political future.
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