ISLAMABAD: The information minister Wednesday claimed the security forces from Gilgit-Baltistan were “responsible for assaulting” members of Punjab police deployed to arrest Imran Khan from his residence in Lahore.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said the police were attempting to “enforce court orders” to detain Khan when the attacks occurred. The government of Gilgit-Baltistan, an autonomous region, is currently controlled by Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf (PTI).
“PTI unleashed its goons along with Gilgit-Baltistan police to attack and challenge the writ of the police,” Aurangzeb told a press conference in Islamabad.
Aurangzeb also said her government was not involved in the arrest attempts and insisted that the police were simply implementing the court orders. The minister expressed her disappointment with Khan’s “efforts to give the impression that the government was behind his arrest”.
She urged the media to accurately report the facts regarding the situation.
Aurangzeb went on to describe Khan as a “cowardly person, a foreign agent, a Toshakahana thief, Tyrian’s father, and a criminal of contempt of court” who was currently on the run from the police. However, she did not mention his name directly.
Furthermore, the minister rebutted Khan’s claim that he was disabled and elderly with a leg plastered, and that his life was in danger. She suggested that he was fabricating these excuses to evade arrest.
The minister also accused the PTI chairman of using women and children as human shields during the violent clashes outside Zaman Park.
Aurangzeb even presented a copy of the warrant issued against Khan and claimed that at least 65 police officers were injured while attempting to carry out the court orders. She also insisted that the law enforcement officials were unarmed.
She expressed regret over the situation and suggested that it could have been avoided had Khan been arrested earlier in accordance with court orders. She urged him to appear before the court and provide clarification, rather than resorting to violent tactics.
The minister demanded that all citizens should receive similar treatment if they violate court orders, as Khan had allegedly done. She also called on the media to fact-check before reporting on claims made by the former prime minister.
Aurangzeb emphasized that the warrants against Khan had been issued by the court, and that the police were simply implementing them. She further claimed that Khan’s political career was over and expressed dismay, saying that the current situation was a joke to the law and courts.
