Pak court stops police operation outside Imran Khan's residence till March 16

In a temporary relief for Imran Khan a Pakistani court Wednesday ordered the police to stop till Thursday March 16 its operation outside the former prime ministers residence here to arrest him in a corruption case after a scuffle between the security personnel and his supportersKhans Pakistan TehreekeInsaf PTI party on Tuesday challenged the police operation in the Lahore High Court requesting it to direct the government to end itOn Wednesday the police halted the operation after the Lahore High Court LHC summoned the Punjab inspectorgeneral chief secretary and Islamabad police operations head on the petition filed by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry seeking order for the government to stop the police operation at the Zaman Park residence of KhanIGP Punjab Dr Usman Anwar appeared before the court and told it that police had to launch the operation as Islamabad police had brought an arrest warrant of Imran Khan in Toshakhana gifts case We had to implement this order under law He said some 59 policemen have been injured during the clashes with the PTI workers a court official told PTIThe PTI advocate told the court that the sessions court Islamabad had issued the order to ensure the presence of Khan in the court on March 18 in the Toshakhana gifts case why police operation was launched to arrest him four days before requesting it intervene to save human lives the official said LHCs Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh asked the PTI counsel whether the Islamabad High Court is hearing the PTI plea to cancel the arrest warrants of Khan in the Toshakhana caseThe counsel informed that the IHC is hearing Khans petition On this Justice Sheikh said let the IHC decide the matter and meanwhile the government stop the police operation forthwith the official saidMeanwhile a large number of lawyers also converged on the Mall Road to protest against the police operation In a separate development Islamabad High Court on Wednesday reserved its judgment on a petition filed by Khan to suspend arrest warrants against him in the Toshakhana caseThe district and sessions court in Islamabad on February 28 issued nonbailable arrest orders against Khan in the Toshakhana case about the concealment of the proceeds from the sale of state gifts The Islamabad High Court heard the petition by Khan against arrest orders He also submitted an affidavit through his counsel that he would appear before the court at the next hearing on March 18Also read Pakistan rangers fire bullets on people outside former PM Imran Khanrsquos residenceChief Justice Amir Farooq observed during the hearing that the court would come out with an order to avoid conflict and ensure respect for the courtsThe court reserved the decision without giving any time when it would be announced todayKhan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan last year in October for not sharing details of the sales The election body later filed a complaint with the district court to punish him under criminal laws for selling the gifts he had received as prime minister of the countryPakistan Rangers and police personnel who were closing in on Khans residence to arrest him in a corruption case on Wednesday started retreating prompting cheers and celebrations among his supportersIn a tweet the party said that more workers were reaching Zaman Park and vowed not to let the impure intentions of the coalition government succeedEarlier in the day authorities deployed the elite Rangers outside Khans residence a day after clashes with police left over 60 people injured including 54 policemenLahores Zaman Park area was turned into a battleground after 70yearold Khans defiant supporters engaged in pitched battles with policemen on Tuesday to stop them from arresting their leader in the Toshakhana case resulting in injuries on both sidesKhan has been in the crosshairs for buying gifts including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana and selling them for profitEstablished in 1974 the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers parliamentarians bureaucrats and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitariesKhan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a noconfidence vote which he alleged was part of a USled conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia China and AfghanistanThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever