LAHORE: A Punjab government delegation has arrived at the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to discuss SOPs for a search operation as authorities claim that “30- 40 terrorists” are present.
After authorities received a search warrant from the Anti-Terrorism Court to raid the former prime minister’s residence, the delegation — led by Lahore’s commissioner and comprising SP, DIG and lady police officials. , reached Zaman Park.
The development came after the Punjab government decided to send a team to hold talks with the PTI leadership before conducting a search operation in Zaman Park.
JEE News onsite reporter said that talks with Khan have ended and discussions with his legal team have begun.
The Punjab government on Wednesday claimed that “30-40 terrorists are hiding inside Imran Khan’s residence” and gave the PTI 24 hours to hand over the miscreants or face action.
However, no action was taken after the deadline passed on Thursday.
Later, Punjab Information Minister Aamir Mir said law enforcement agencies would conduct a search operation to nab “terrorists” at Imran Khan’s residence and in front of cameras after his permission.
“We [the interim government] have decided that instead of clashing, we will send a delegation to Khan Sahib under the supervision of the Lahore Commissioner,” Mir told JEE News.
“They will ask him [Khan] to allow them to conduct a search operation. A police party of 400 personnel will accompany the delegation as the presence of terrorists is reported.”
Six more terrorists arrested
Earlier, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Bilal Siddique Kamiana claimed to have arrested 6 more terrorists who tried to escape from Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence.
According to CCPO Kamiana, four terrorists were allegedly involved in the attack on Askari Tower while two of them were among those who vandalized the Corps Commander House Lahore.
Punjab Caretaker Information Minister Aamir Mir said on Thursday that eight “terrorists” have been arrested while escaping from Lahore’s Zaman Park area.
He had said that the arrested terrorists had already been identified and they were allegedly involved in the attack on Lahore Corps Commander House on May 9.
Reference against the judge
CCPO Kamiana confirmed the arrests hours before a negotiation team headed by Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa was scheduled to meet PTI leaders regarding the search operation at Zaman Park.
Meanwhile, police have blocked the road between Mall Road and Dharmapura in Lahore, while all the roads leading to Zaman Park have been cordoned off.
During a meeting today, Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi ordered that the cases registered against the miscreants should be pursued with full force and the “absconder” should be arrested as soon as possible.
In the meeting, the law and order situation in the province and the progress so far in the search for the suspects involved in the May 9 protest were reviewed.
The participants of the meeting also expressed concern over the alleged facilitation of the attack on the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) office in Faisalabad.
Those accused of involvement in the attack include Ali Afzal Sahi, who is allegedly a close relative of a judge, among others.
It was also decided in the meeting that a reference would be sent against the judge for providing extraordinary facilities to terrorists, while the ‘illegal and unconstitutional facilitation’ of torture suspects would also be challenged.
It was said in the meeting that facilitating the accused is tantamount to murder of justice.
