The police have surrounded the home of Imran Khan in Lahore.
The police in Pakistan surrounded former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s home in Lahore forward of his doable arrest within the Toshakhana case. A whole lot of Mr Khan’s supporters gathered exterior the home after a police crew arrived from Islamabad to arrest him on a courtroom order, in response to information company Reuters. If he’s arrested, it is going to be a giant blow for his occasion, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Mr Khan faces 37 instances throughout Pakistan, together with these filed by the Federal Investigation Company (FIA).
What’s the Toshakhana case?
A non-bailable warrant has been issued in opposition to Mr Khan, 70, for concealing, in his property declarations, particulars of the presents he retained from the Toshakhana – the treasury the place presents handed to authorities officers from overseas officers are stored. The case is named the Toshakhana reference case.
Mr Khan is accused of incomes $36 million from promoting three watches gifted to him. He allegedly by no means deposited some presents within the treasury, violating the rule as a Prime Minister in Pakistan is allowed to retain the presents solely after paying a certain quantity.
The Islamabad Excessive Court docket had final week suspended the arrest warrant issued by a district and classes courtroom in opposition to the PTI chairman until March 13.
Different instances in opposition to Imran Khan
In January this yr, Pakistan’s Election Fee issued bailable arrest warrants in opposition to Mr Khan and different high leaders of his occasion in a contempt case. The case relies on statements issued by high PTI leaders in opposition to the ballot physique and Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja.
The election watchdog had issued notices in opposition to them in August and September final yr within the train of its powers of contempt after the PTI leaders repeatedly bashed the fee and Raja over what they declare is their partisan coverage and their alleged favouring of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
He’s additionally in bother for failing to attend the courtroom listening to of a case linked to protests exterior the election fee. PTI employees staged a protest after Mr Khan was disqualified by the Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP) within the prohibited funding case final yr.
The investigation within the case began in October final yr, when an FIR was registered in opposition to the previous Pakistan PM for allegedly receiving prohibited overseas funding.
Based on Daybreak, Wooton Cricket Restricted proprietor Arif Masood Naqvi transferred “ill-gotten” cash to one of many accounts of Mr Khan’s occasion. He’s accused of violating the provisions of Pakistan’s Overseas Trade Act by receiving suspicious monetary transfers.
Mr Khan is dealing with one other arrest warrant for allegedly threatening a feminine decide Zeba Chaudhry. The outburst got here after the decide accredited the remand of Mr Kahn’s aide, Shahbaz Gill.
At a rally in October 2022, expenses underneath Pakistan’s anti-terrorism act had been slapped in opposition to the PTI chief for his remarks at a rally the place he threatened to file instances in opposition to his political opponents and high police officers. Nevertheless, the stringent expenses had been dropped after the Islamabad excessive courtroom intervened.
In August final yr, the cricketer-turned-politician was accused of violating Part 144 by organising a rally in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.
Pakistan’s former data and broadcasting minister earlier launched a litigation standing report, which mentioned that Mr Khan himself is a petitioner in 19 instances which were filed in opposition to authorities departments and people.
The report additionally mentioned that 21 FIRs are registered in opposition to the previous PM out of which 11 had been registered on a single day – Could 25, 2022 – whereas eight had been registered on Could 26. The remaining three FIRs had been registered on August 8.
Mr Khan has filed two instances in opposition to the Election Fee of Pakistan whereas two are registered in opposition to him within the Islamabad Excessive Court docket, in response to information company ANI.