Pakistani police raid former PM Khan's house, arrest 61 people

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Pakistani police raided the residence of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday and arrested 61 people, AP reported.

Senior police official Suhail Sukhera, who led the operation in Lahore's upscale neighborhood, said police acted to remove barricades erected by members of Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf party and his supporters. He said they had blocked roads around Khan's residence with concrete blocks, felled trees, tents, and a parked truck. Khan was not at home, as he had traveled to Islamabad to appear before a judge to face charges of selling state gifts and concealing his assets. The judge postponed the hearing until March 30.

Sukhera said Khan's supporters, armed with clubs, tried to resist the police by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails, and a man on the roof of Khan's residence opened fire. At least three police officers were injured. Sukhera said police broke down the main gate of Khan's residence and found automatic weapons, Molotov cocktails, iron rods, and clubs used in attacks on police during the week. Sukhera said illegal structures were erected inside the spacious residence to shelter people involved in attacks on police in which dozens of officers were injured.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah later said police would conduct a full search of Khan's house, where they found bunkers and suspected more illegal weapons and ammunition were hidden. He said Khan and many of his supporters were armed in Islamabad. Witnesses in Lahore said police tried to disperse Khan's supporters by firing tear gas and chased them to several houses in the Zaman Park neighborhood. Khan's lawyer appeared in court in Islamabad on Saturday after the Supreme Court on Friday suspended Khan's arrest warrant, giving him a reprieve to travel to Islamabad and face corruption charges without being detained.

Khan had been at his Lahore home since Tuesday after failing to appear at an earlier hearing in the case. His supporters had thrown stones and clashed with police for two days to protect the former prime minister from arrest. Khan's motorcade arrived near the federal judicial complex in Islamabad on Saturday, where his supporters also clashed with police who prevented them from entering the complex. Angry Khan supporters threw stones at the police, who responded with tear gas to disperse them.

Khan's lawyer, Babar Awan, filed a request for Khan's exemption from appearing in court under special circumstances.

Minister of Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar condemned Khan for not surrendering to the police and for not appearing in court on Saturday, despite arriving at the gate of the judicial complex. He accused Khan of using his supporters' protests to evade indictment. A Khan supporter set fire to two police vehicles and several motorcycles in front of the judicial complex as it dispersed, the Minister of Justice said.
Khan said during his trip to Islamabad in a video message that police had broken into his Lahore residence while his wife was alone at home. He condemned the action and demanded that those responsible be punished. Khan's PTI party general secretary, Asad Umar, stated in a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan that the police waited until Khan was on his way to Islamabad to raid his Lahore residence. He said that "doors and walls were razed to the ground" and that more than 40 people in the house were arrested. Khan, now the opposition leader, was ousted from parliament last April in a no-confidence vote. He is accused of selling state gifts while in office and concealing assets. He denies the charges.

This is one of a series of cases that the former cricket star, who became an Islamist politician, has faced since his ouster. The 70-year-old Khan, who has called for early parliamentary elections, claims his removal from power is part of a conspiracy by his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the United States. Both Washington and Sharif's government have denied these allegations.