While hearing the plea, LHC Judge Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh ordered that the operation be stopped until tomorrow at 10 AM. Till then, the verdict by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) would be announced regarding the plea seeking cancellation of the arrest warrant issued against Imran Khan, the judge remarked.
During the hearing, the LHC summoned top officials of Punjab and the capital police in a plea submitted by the PTI against an operation at Zaman Park for executing the arrest warrant for Khan.
Earlier in the day, the PTI approached the LHC against the police operation at Zaman Park, contending that the 'lives of innocent people were being jeopardized.'
The petition was filed by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, in which he claimed that the illegal police operation had been in progress since yesterday and that people had suffered significant injuries due to the use of expired tear gas shells. He also alleged in the petition that law enforcers had used live ammunition, due to which panic spread among the people, and Zaman Park was turned into a battlefield.
In a petition, he claimed that police, on the instruction of the Punjab caretaker government, was hellbent upon Imran’s arrest despite an undertaking, given by Imran, to police officials to ensure his appearance before the court on March 18.
Last week, the Islamabad district and sessions court issued arrest warrants against former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case.
After the Police and Rangers stepped back following the LHC orders, jubilation surfaced at Zaman Park, where PTI workers chanted slogans in favor of their leader and the party.