Police raid former Pakistani PM’s home — RT World News
The operation took place as Imran Khan was on his way to court to face charges of illegally selling state gifts.
Pakistani police raided the home of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday as he traveled to the capital, Islamabad, to appear in court in a corruption case. The raid turned violent as law enforcement clashed with Khan’s supporters.
Footage shared on social media shows officers breaking down the main door to the former prime minister’s residence in Lahore. A video posted by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Twitter appears to show police brutally beating supporters with sticks and truncheons.
Pakistani officials said 30 people were arrested in the raid as they moved to clear a blockade set up by Khan’s supporters near his home. The officer in charge of the operation claimed that the militants had resisted by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails.
“Punjab Police carried out an attack on my house in Zaman Park where Bushra Begum is alone. Under what law are they doing this? » Khan tweeted, referring to his wife, who was home at the time.
He also claimed that the raid was not intended to ensure he would appear in court, “but was intended to take me to jail so that I would be unable to run our election campaign.”
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Pakistani High Court suspends arrest warrant against ex-PM
The operation follows days of clashes with Khan’s supporters around the perimeter of his compound, as police tried to arrest the embattled politician for failing to appear in court. However, the arrest warrant was later suspended by the Pakistani High Court.
In a tweet on Saturday, Khan claimed the government intended to arrest him. He added that “Despite knowing their dishonest intentions, I am going to Islamabad and to court because I believe in the rule of law.”
Khan became prime minister in 2018 and was ousted in a vote of no confidence in 2022. He is currently embroiled in dozens of legal disputes. Among other charges, he is accused of illegally selling state gifts, worth approximately $2 million, given to him by foreign dignitaries while in office. He denied the allegations, saying they were politically motivated.
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