Pakistan Police May Launch ‘Grand Operation’ Against ‘Terrorists’ Hiding In Imran Khan’s Home

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Pakistan’s Punjab Police may initiate a security operation on Thursday to apprehend the terrorists allegedly taking refuge in former prime minister Imran Khan’s residence in Lahore, as the provincial government’s 24-hour deadline for their surrender has expired.

The interim government of Punjab claimed on Wednesday that approximately 30 to 40 terrorists were hiding inside Khan’s Zaman Park residence and issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader to hand them over or face severe action.

All roads leading to Zaman Park have been blocked, and a substantial law enforcement presence is in the area, as reported by Geo News. According to sources, the Inspector General of Punjab Police and the Capital City Police Officer have instructed the police to remain vigilant.

In response to these developments, Khan shared a video on Wednesday, showing the scenes outside his house while he addressed the nation. The video displayed a large contingent of policemen and numerous police vehicles moving in a single direction.

During his video address from his Zaman Park residence, Khan expressed concerns that Pakistan was on the brink of a looming disaster and warned of a situation similar to what occurred in East Pakistan. He rejected the Punjab government’s claim of terrorists hiding in his Lahore home, demanding that the government lawfully search the house with a search warrant, as his own life was also at risk in the presence of terrorists. He cautioned against using this as an excuse to crack down on the PTI, the country’s largest political party.

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Khan allowed representatives from electronic and digital media to visit his residence to verify that there were no terrorists inside Zaman Park. The media personnel who visited the house later confirmed that only domestic workers and a few policemen were present.

Earlier on Wednesday, Khan tweeted that it could be his last tweet before his next arrest, mentioning that the police had surrounded his house.

Violent protests erupted on May 9 following Khan’s arrest, leading to the vandalism of several military installations, including the Jinnah House, Mianwali airbase, and the ISI building in Faisalabad. It was the first time that the mob attacked the Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The clashes resulted in a death toll of 10 according to the police, while the PTI claimed that 40 of its workers were killed in firing by security personnel.

In response to these incidents, Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir vowed on Wednesday to bring all those responsible for bringing shame to the nation to justice. The military brass had previously pledged to hold the arsonists accountable through trials under relevant laws, including the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act.

Imran Khan was removed from power in April of the previous year after losing a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him due to his independent foreign policy decisions concerning Russia, China, and Afghanistan.