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| Attempt to arrest Imran Khan: Clash between PTI workers and police, what happened around Zaman Park throughout the day? |
After the non-bailable arrest warrant of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan was issued, news of the arrival of Islamabad police in Lahore has been circulating in the media since Tuesday morning on the city's main highway Mall Road. Additional personnel was deployed, while workers were gathered outside Imran Khan's house.
For the past few weeks, PTI workers and media representatives start arriving in the Zaman Park area from the beginning of the day. But the situation was different there today as the Islamabad police team along with the Lahore police was likely to reach Zaman Park to arrest Imran Khan.
Armored car arrival and protest
On Tuesday, when I received the information about the arrival of an armored police vehicle at Zaman Park first thing in the day, I immediately left the office for Zaman Park.
When I reached the spot, the PTI workers were protesting against the arrival of the armored police vehicle at Zaman Park and shouting slogans against the caretaker government.
At that time, a large number of workers were not present outside Imran Khan's residence in Zaman Park. However, realizing the sensitivity of the situation, a police officer got out of the armored police vehicle and said that this vehicle has come to protect Imran Khan.
The workers there calmed down. Shortly thereafter, there were reports that a heavy police force had gathered outside the Governor's House. After this unusual police movement was seen around Mall Road and Zaman Park.
Arrest warrant placards and clashes between activists and police
On Tuesday, around 1:30 PM, the Islamabad Police team along with the Lahore Police team headed by DIG Islamabad Shahzad Bukhari arrived at Zaman Park to arrest Imran Khan.
Zaman Park, a policeman is also holding a placard with an arrest warrant notice for the arrest of Imran Khan. As soon as the police approached Zaman Park, the workers started protesting and reacting.
Although even then there was not a large number of PTI workers outside Imran Khan's residence.
But they protested and tried to stop the police from going towards Imran Khan's house from where the clash started between the police and PTI workers.
Meanwhile, the additional police force was also called in and all roads leading to Zaman Park were blocked. When the police outside Zaman Park advanced to arrest Imran Khan, the PTI workers started pushing the police back.
At the same time, the central leadership of PTI, including party vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Ejaz Chaudhry, Ali Zaidi, Andalib Abbas, and other leaders were talking to the media. On the other hand, the PTI workers present at some distance started pelting stones at the policemen.
In response, the police fired tear gas shells and used water cannons to disperse the protesters. Meanwhile, the police had taken their position between the protesters and the central leadership present in Zaman Park.
Stone pelting at the police, police responded by using tear gas and water cannon
After Shah Mahmood Qureshi finished talking to the media, he proceeded to the highway leading to Imran Khan's residence, and when he went towards them to talk to the PTI workers and the police officials, there was a scuffle between the workers and the police officers present there. The shock and resistance started. Shah Mehmood Qureshi also faced some shock there and after assessing the seriousness of the situation, he once again turned back towards Imran Khan's residence.
In response to one of my questions, he said that 'I am going to talk to Imran Khan and decide the plan of action.'
When they approached the barrier in front of Imran Khan's main gate, a group of policemen, led by Islamabad Police DIG Shehzad, immediately gained access to the barrier using force.
As soon as the police approached the main gate of Imran Khan's residence, they started pelting stones at the police officers from the street adjacent to his house and from inside Imran Khan's house.
Several policemen including DIG Islamabad Shehzad Bukhari were injured by stone pelting by the angry PTI workers. On which the police also took retaliatory action and lathi-charged, water cannons and tear gas shelling on the workers, some shells also fell inside Imran Khan's house.
This process continued for about three to four hours and Zaman Park and surrounding areas became a battlefield in the clash between the police and workers.
It is also worth mentioning here that during the action against the agitated workers, many police officers did not have protective clothing and equipment and due to severe shelling, on one side the physical condition of PTI workers was deteriorating, on the other hand, the police personnel were also injured. He was suffering.
After three to four hours of intense shelling by the police and using water-containing chemicals in water cannons, the area faced severe breathing problems.
Rangers recruitment and aerial surveillance
Rangers were also called to control the situation at around seven in the evening, while during the operation Zaman Park's aerial surveillance was carried out by helicopters and drones. It was also done.
However, around nine o'clock in the night, the police started withdrawing from Zaman Park and during this time the tension also decreased. However, on the appeal of Chairman PTI, the workers started blocking the roads and main intersections in different areas of the city.
A police force had gone towards Governor House and Chief Minister House on Mall Road and a large number of workers and women reached Zaman Park after 10 pm.
Zaman Park
A large number of PTI workers came to Zaman Park
Meanwhile, clashes between police and PTI workers continued on Canal Road adjacent to Mall Road, where police were shelling tear gas while workers were pelting stones and setting fire to trees.
The operation by the police to arrest Imran Khan continued for more than ten hours. Still, by the time I returned at 12 o'clock at night, a heavy contingent of police was present around Zaman Park for several hours, where he was gathered in large numbers. TI faces stiff resistance from workers.