Lahore: As police and PTI supporters continued to fight outside his Zaman Park residence, protests broke out in the country‘s largest cities.
Zaman Park continues to experience intermittent tear gas shelling, and police are currently camped out at a security barrier outside the neighborhood. In the meantime, PTI workers have surrounded Canal Road and the path leading to Imran’s home. Following police’s use of tear gas and water cannons against supporters outside Zaman Park, Imran called for his supporters to “come out,” and protests took place in Islamabad, Peshawar, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.
In Karachi, PTI workers protested at 4K Chowrangi, 5 Star Chowrangi, Banaras Chowk, Al-Asif Square, Shaheen Chowk, Mirza Adam Khan Chowk, and Murghi Khana.
Videos shared by the PTI’s Karachi chapter also showed workers gathered at Qayyumabad Chowrangi, II Chundrigar, Hassan Square and Sohrab Goth.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has urged the party workers and supporters to continue struggle for ‘real freedom’ as party workers and police officials clashed outside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, it was reported on Tuesday.
An Islamabad police team reached Lahore 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.
In a video message shared on Twitter, the PTI chief urged the nation to stand resolute and fight for ‘Haqeeqi Azadi (real freedom) and rule of law’.
Imran Khan noted that the government believes the nation will ‘not react’ if he gets arrested, urging the party workers and supporters to prove the incumbent rulers ‘wrong’.
“You [the nation] have to prove that we are a living nation”, the former premier said, asking the nation to continue its struggle for real freedom and come out of their houses. He further said that he will continue to fight for the supremacy of Rule of Law.
Meanwhile, the PTI Chairman has constituted a six-member ‘emergency committee’ to overlook party matters in case of arrest.
The six-member committee – constituted to overlook party matters – included PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Senator Saifullah Niazi, Senator Azam Swati, Ijaz Chaudhy, Murad Saeed and Ali Amin Gandapur.
The emergency committee will overlook the matters if Imran Khan gets arrested, as per a statement issued by the political party.
Meanwhile, Interio Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Imran will be arrested at any cost today!
President Dr Arif Alvi said he was “deeply saddened” by today’s events. “Unhealthy revenge politics. Poor priorities of [a] government of a country that should focus on economic misery of the people,” he said.
“ Are we destroying political landscape? Am concerned about safety and dignity of @ImranKhanPTI like that of all politicians,“ he said.