Imran Khan's supporters, police clash amid teargas shelling, water cannons
Lahore's Zaman Park area—where Pakistan's former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, Imran Khan, resides—woke up to heavy teargas shelling by the police on Wednesday at 6 am. Khan's supporters clashed with the police on Tuesday to prevent his arrest in the Toshakhana case, resulting in injuries on both sides after the police used water cannons and batons to disperse them.
Why does this story matter?
- Cricketer-turned-politician Khan (70) is facing arrest in two cases but has been evading it for around 10 days, owing to hundreds of supporters.
- Instead, he has termed the government action as a political ploy by the Shehbaz Sharif family-led regime against him.
- Notably, he has been rallying across the country for months, calling for early elections after being ousted from power in April 2022.
Khan accuses Sharif government of carrying out 'London Plan'
Sharing a video early Wednesday morning, Khan accused PM Sharif's government of carrying out a "London Plan" to arrest him and close all cases against his brother, Nawaz Sharif. On Tuesday, he also posted a video warning, "If something happens to me, or sent to jail, or they kill me, you've to prove that this nation will continue to struggle even without Imran Khan."
Chaotic scene unfolded at Zaman Park since early hours
Zaman Park’s surroundings 04:40 am. pic.twitter.com/nyzQergvNk
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) March 14, 2023
Government afraid of PTI's popularity: Imran Khan
Khan said the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was afraid of PTI's popularity and plotting against him to remove him from the electoral race. He was disqualified from holding an office for five years after being found guilty in the Toshakhana case. A recent nationwide survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan showed him as the most popular leader with a positive rating of 61%.
What is the Toshakhana case?
Pakistan's law allows lawmakers to buy gifts from the state repository and sell them, provided that transaction details are declared. Khan was found to have concealed income by selling state gifts he bought at discounted prices from the Toshkhana or state repository. The other case and the subsequent non-bailable warrant against him pertain to his allegedly threatening a woman judge.
I've assured I'll be in court on March 18: Khan
He further said that the reason behind the attack on his people was beyond him since he had already assured to be present in court on Saturday. Leading a march of thousands of his supporters in Lahore on Monday, he said he will hold another rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on Sunday, as the Islamabad Police arrived in Lahore on a special helicopter to arrest him.
What does Khan mean by London Plan?
The London Plan was a reference to Nawaz—Shehbaz Sharif's elder brother, and Khan's predecessor, who held the office for three consecutive terms and was ousted each time. He has been living in a self-imposed exile in London since 2019 after being convicted of corruption and getting bail on medical grounds. He was allowed to travel abroad for four weeks but hasn't returned since.
Nawaz Sharif likely to return soon
Notably, Nawaz's diplomatic passport was canceled after his conviction. In 2022, PML-N returned to power after the former PTI government lost a no-confidence vote. In November, the government issued him a diplomatic passport for five years, paving the way for his return to the country.
