Ex-PM Khan demands public trial of Toshakhana case as police wait outside Zaman Park

LAHORE, March 5 (SABAH): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Sunday demanded a public trial of the Toshakhana case before a crowd gathered at Zaman Park, hours after police claimed he was avoiding arrest.

Islamabad Police on Sunday travelled to Lahore to arrest Imran in relation to warrants issued in the Toshakhana (gift repository) case against him whereas the former premier was avoiding arrest.

SP City Rana Hussain Tahir went to the room in Imran’s Zaman Park’s residence where the PTI chairman was expected to be but he was not there when the police arrived.

Addressing PTI workers from his residence, however, Imran said that he had invited them to express gratitude towards them and not to build his own confidence.

Equating his cause with a holy mission saying his jihad for true freedom will continue, Imran stressed he was not going to bow in front of anyone and nor allow anyone else [from his party and supporters] to do so”. He also claimed that he was not behind the cases registered against the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders while implying that the same was not true in his case.

Imran claimed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and “Dirty Harry” were still in power and that another plan to assassinate him had been hatched. “I went to Lahore and Islamabad high court and there was no security,” he claimed while adding that his legal team was to pen a letter to the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of the matter.

“It seems as though the ones who should be responsible to provide safety are the real danger,” he said as he amped up his rhetoric against Shehbaz, Sanaullah and “Dirty Harry” in particular. Terming the cases against him as “comical” Imran also called for a public trial of his Toshakhana case.

“Your and your children’s future is very bleak,” he said taking note of the state of the country’s economy as well as the condition of rule of law. Imran also thanked all ‘Jail Bharo’ movement participants for having made him proud.

Meanwhile, PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry has urged all PTI supporters to converge outside Imran’s Lahore residence and he told media outside Zaman Park that the purpose of calling Imran to these courts was to “attempt yet another attack on him”.