LAHORE: Punjab Inspector General Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar has said that police force showed restraint to avoid loss of lives during the operation to arrest PTI Chief Imran Khan at Zaman Park.
While talking to reporters along with Punjab Interim Information Minister Amir Mir on Thursday, he said the law will take its course over the issue of Imran Khan’s case. “We will argue in the Lahore High Court on Friday (today) to allow police to fulfil their duty to executing the warrant,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Information Minister Amir Mir claimed that 12 police official of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) were sent back to their province. He said the close companion of Sufi Muhmaad is also present at Zaman Park. The former chief minister of KPK has hired the services of this militant against Punjab police, he maintained Punjab Minister Amir Mir said the order to arrest Imran Khan will be implemented in a few hours once the LHC gives them go ahead.
He claimed that militants from KP were also hiding at Imran Khan’s residence and took part in attacks on police force including one militant who completed eight years imprisonment. IGP claimed that PTI’s workers were trying to turn Zaman Park into a no-go area but the police don’t want a clash due to PLS matches.
Dr Usman Anwer further told reporters that more than 60 police officers were injured due to PTI workers’ attacks and petrol bombs. Some of them were severely injured and they were still in hospital under medical treatment. Vehicles of Rangers and police were also set ablaze, he added.
He said all police officials were without weapons when they conducted a raid to arrest Imran Khan at his residence. The police chief also said that people involved in the killing of PTI political worker Ali Bilal, aka Zille Shah, had also confessed of being guilty before the court.
When asked, the IGP denied that Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) police and Punjab police clashed outside Zaman Park as claimed by the federal government a day earlier. It may be mentioned that on Wednesday, Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had alleged that the GB police personnel were being pitted against the Punjab police as the latter attempted to arrest PTI Chief Imran Khan from his residence in Lahore.
The Punjab IGP said that no clash or confrontation occurred with GB police anywhere in Zaman Park, adding that the GB policemen had not pointed their guns at Lahore police personnel.
The IGP said the GB police had come to Lahore on the orders of Chief Minister GB. In response to another question regarding arrest warrant of Interior Minister Rana Sana Ullah, he said, “we will talk about this on another occasion.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023