LAHORE: The provincial capital police have lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against PTI Chairman Imran Khan, party leader Shibli Faraz and 150 workers for harassing and hurling life threats at an Islamabad police team when it visited Zaman Park to arrest the former prime minister.

The FIR was registered by the Race Course police on the complaint of Islamabad Secretariat police SHO Nadeem Tahir.

The SHO said he was part of the team of the federal capital police constituted for the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan to comply with the orders of additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ), Islamabad.

He said as they reached the Zaman Park residence of the PTI leader along with his non-bailable arrest warrants issued by ADSJ Zafar Iqbal, a charged group of 100-150 PTI workers carrying clubs surrounded them.

The SHO stated in the FIR that the attackers hurled serious life threats at the Islamabad police officials, saying they would kill them if they dared to enter their leader’s house.

Teams formed to conduct raids, arrest suspects nominated in the case; PTI chief also booked in Quetta

Following the seriousness of the matter, he said, the police told them that they had arrived from Islamabad to comply with the court orders. “However, the attackers rejected the repeated requests of the Islamabad police,” the SHO said.

Meanwhile, he said, PTI senior leader Shibli Faraz appeared from the charged crowd and the police apprised him of the court orders about arrest of Irman Khan. The SHO said Mr Faraz too barred the police from entering the residence and used delaying tactics.

While receiving the court notice, he put up a note on it saying “Imran Khan is not available at his residence”, read the FIR. The SHO alleged that Mr Faraz deliberately distorted the facts about the presence of Imran Khan at his residence as moments later the PTI chairman addressed party workers from his Zaman Khan residence.

The live telecast of his speech showed Imran Khan was present at his residence when police reached there, the SHO said. He alleged that Imran Khan, with the connivance of Shibli Faraz and 150 charged party workers, committed a crime by dodging and barring the Islamabad police from discharging their duty.

Meanwhile, Lahore Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddique Kamyana told Dawn that the police would arrest all those involved in harassing and threatening the ICT police. “It is a legal obligation of the police to arrest the violators/attackers booked by the police,” he said, adding that the police teams have been formed to conduct raids and arrest the suspects nominated in the FIR.

Separately, an FIR was registered at a police station in Quetta against Imran Khan on Monday over his alleged remarks against state institutions and their offices and spreading hatred against them.

Sections 153A, 124A and 505 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 have been added to the FIR lodged by citizen Abdul Khalil Kakar, who said the PTI chief’s statement is tantamount to destroying public peace and order.

Saleem Shahid in Quetta also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2023