PTI Chairman Imran Khan set off for Shaukat Khanum Hospital near midnight for a medical checkup.

A police squad and jammer were present to accompnay him.

A crane has been sent by the Punjab government to clear encroachments at Zaman Park.

Caretaker CM Mohsin Naqvi had mentioned encroachments earlier in the day.

However, the operation has not begun yet.

Imran Khan told media in Zaman Park that the crackdown against party leaders and workers across the country was ‘increasing its vote bank’.

“Whoever is doing this, remember when I say this, this will only strengthen the party,” he said.

He also said that when a party’s popularity is above 70%, it will not matter if candidates leave or enter the party, a reference to PTI leaders announcing their resignations from the party.

Imran also said that his party’s popularity has increased so much that they don’t even need a campaign and will only need polling agents to manage polling day.

In response to a question, he added that it is the PDM not the PTI who is isolated due to losing support among the public.

Imran Khan said that the government team comprising the commissioner, deputy commissioner and others had looked around his house, but he had not agreed to a police search.

Imran said that the police had requested to search his entire house and asked that all people inside should exit while the search took place

“I have no trust in the police,” he said, adding that he would approach the court for the matter.

He also said that the best formula would be like the one proposed by the Lahore High Court ealier, with one person from each party being nominated to search the house.

Speaking to journaists after the government team left Zaman Park, Imran Khan confirmed that he had been given eight names but denied that a list of 2,200 workers had been submitted.

“I asked the government team, what about the workers already arrested who are being kept in horrible conditions?” he said.

He said that if there were proof of party workers being involved in May 9 attacks, the party will ask them to hand themselves over to the police.

Punjab Information Minister Amir Mir said that Imran had been given a list of 2,200 people but there was still a deadlock over the search operation at Zaman Park.

Talking to Geo News, Mir said that Imran Khan is ‘insisting’ that too many policemen should not come to Zaman Park for the search.

Earlier in the day, Mir had said that hundreds of policement would participate in the search.

The government team led by Lahore’s commissioner met Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi after returning from Zaman Park and updated him on the negotiations.

Mohsin Naqvi ordered that the police checkposts outside Zaman Park should be removed as promised but only after PTI ends their encroachments first.

As the government team, led by Lahore’s commissioner, returned from Zaman Park, reports emerged that they had negotiated with Imran Khan for almost 90 minutes.

The reports added that permission to carry out a search was not granted and Imran Khan laid out conditions.

The commissioner reportedly handed over a list of ‘terrorists’ to Imran Khan and told him that multiple people had been arrested while fleeing Zaman Park by the police.

Sources said that Imran Khan was also given ‘evidence’ of 2,200 terrorists who had participated in the incidents of arson on May 9. He was also told about PTI leaders invovled in the attack.

The Lahore High Court has declared the notification pertaining to the acceptance of resignations of 72 MNAs “invalid”, overruling the National Assembly speaker and the Election Commission of Pakistan.

On Friday, LHC judge Justice Shahid Karim gave the decision while hearing the petition of PTI leader Riaz Fatyana.

The court ordered such lawmakers to appear in front of the NA speaker to take back their resignations. It also ordered the NA speaker to take a decision after hearing out the PTI lawmakers.

The PTI, after the ouster of its chief Imran Khan as the premier through a trust vote in April, had announced it was resigning en masse from the National Assembly. The announcement was made just hours before Shehbaz Sharif was sworn in as Khan’s successor.

Former NA deputy speaker Qasim Suri subsequently accepted the resignations of 123 PTI MNAs. But incumbent speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf later decided to verify the resignations and eventually accepted the resignations of just 11 lawmakers on July 27, prompting outcry from the PTI.

Earlier this year, the Election Commission of Pakistan de-notified 35 PTI MNAs after their resignations were accepted by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

In February, a number of former PTI lawmakers approached the Sindh High Court to challenge the NA speaker’s decision to accept their resignations.

PTI leader and former Sindh Governor Imran Ismail has been arrested in Karachi, the party said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

His arrest comes after a series of party leaders were taken into custody under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance following Imran Khan’s arrest.

Police arrested Ismail near Defense Phase VIII.

Imran Ismail’s brother confirmed to Aaj News that the former Sindh governor was arrested from his Karachi residence Defence Phase 8 area.

The PTI has condemned the arrest. “Fascism of this regime is completely unprecedented and shameful!” it said.

The party demanded of the government immediately release its leaders including Ismail.

On Thursday, Khan claimed that several of its leaders were under pressure to quit the party. An attempt the former prime minister believes was aimed at stopping his party from forming the next government.

The law enforcement agencies took action after getting “technical support”, sources said, adding that Kemari police were with them in the operation.

The Islamabad High Court has adjourned the contempt of court proceedings against Islamabad Police till Monday, May 21.

Justice Mian Gul Aurangzeb was hearing the petition against the re-arrest of PTI leader Shireen Mazari on Friday.

PTI leaders Shireen Mazari and Maleeka Bokhari were arrested again, hours after they were released from custody on IHC’s orders.

Hearing the petition, Justice Aurangzeb remarked wondered why Shireen Mazari was handed over to the Punjab Police despite the court’s order. “We are sitting here for service.”

He remarked that judges cannot appear in talk shows. “The court is being mocked, what is the reason that the orders of the constitutional body are being blown in the air, this serious matter should be consulted with the Attorney General Higher Authority.”

At this point Justice Aurganzeb’s eyes well up with tears.

Moreover, he also issued notice to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad in a contempt of court case and sought a reply on Monday.

A five-member team led by Lahore’s commissioner arrived in PTI chief Imran Khan’s Lahore residence, Zaman Park, on Friday to carry out a search after warrants were issued earlier in the day. A search will be conducted by the police after terms are agreed.

Aaj News reported that the team met Imran Khan’s lawyers before meeting the PTI chief himself. However, Punjab Information minister Amir Mir said that the team would only decide SOPs for the search.

PTI’s Twitter account also confirmed that the commissioner was inside the house and the premises being searched.

“They are being satisfied in the presence of a large number of media (representatives),” the tweet said.

A district magistrate court had granted a warrant to the Punjab government to search the residence on suspicions of holding up terrorists.

Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa would meet the nominated persons of PTI to convince them before the government team arrives. When they will agree, the government would begin a search operation.

The Punjab police continued to surround Zaman Park on the third consecutive day on Friday.

A heavy contingent of police was deployed at Sundar Das Road, Mall Road Underpass, and Dharampura Underpass. According to updates by noon, traffic around Zaman Park was suspended.

The road from Mall Road to Dharampura and the underpass were closed. But traffic was open from Dharampura to Mall Road, the underpass, and Sundar Das Road.

Hundreds of policemen, led by the district commissioner, will perform the search after receiving a warrant to do so, said Amir Mir, the interim information minister of the sprawling province, told Reuters on Friday.

“We have information that there are around 40 terrorists hiding there, so I think we will need some 400 police to search the house,” he added.

He was referring to supporters of Khan accused of attacking and vandalising government and military buildings, but ruled out the arrest of Khan.

“We don’t have any plans to arrest Imran Khan.”

Police would search only if Khan permitted them to do, he added, but if not, they would withdraw until the government chalked out the next steps.

Although Khan has already agreed to allow police access to his home, government officials say they want his permission for a search in order to avoid violence by his supporters.

Khan’s home is in the Zaman Park neighbourhood of Lahore, the state capital. It was the site of pitched battles in March between his supporters and police who had tried to arrest the 70-year-old former cricket star for not showing up in court.

Eventually arrested on May 9 on graft charges, which he denies, Khan was later released on bail that expires this month.

His arrest triggered a wave of violence by supporters who attacked military installations and other government buildings.

The clashes came as the South Asian nation of 220 million faces its worst economic crisis, with critical IMF funding needed to avert a balance of payment crisis delayed for months.

On Wednesday, the Punjab government asked Khan to hand over supporters it blamed for the attacks on the powerful army and who it said were hiding in his home.

Khan has denied sheltering anyone involved in the violence, saying the authorities could search his home but only with legal warrants from a court.

On Thursday, Khan’s aide, Iftikhar Durrani, allowed journalists into some areas of the Lahore home to “look for terrorists”.

(With input from Reuters)

The Anti-Terrorism Court has granted PTI chairman Imran Khan interim bail till June two in multiple cases, including vandalism on May 9.

A two-member led by Judge Ejaz Ahmed Buttar heard Khan’s bail plea in two cases. The PTI chief’s lawyer Salman Safdar filed the petitions.

The former Prime Minister appeared before the court under strict security and marked his attendance on Friday.

Imran Khan’s lawyer Salman Safdar said in the arguments that the petitioner was arrested when this tragic incident took place. As soon as it came to know that this incident happened, Imran Khan strongly condemned it.

Salman Safdar was referring the Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case by the National Accountability Bureau on May 10.

The court granted interim bail to Imran Khan till June 2 in multiple cases.

Safdar claimed that cases of “political vendetta” were filed against his client. He argued that he would present the behavior of police in the two cases.

“No case of corruption was found. The issue of Toshakhana was made controversial, the police of Islamabad and Lahore reached Zaman Park for a warrant,” Khan’s lawyer said, adding that several cases were registered against his client.

He alleged that an attempt was made to damage PTI by accusing the party chief of inciting the people to damage properties. “About 140 cases were registered in a few months and 2,500 people are involved in the case. None of them were arrested and none came for bail,” he added.

PTI chief Imran Khan has commended all the senior members of his party who are allegedly being forced to leave his party. He has claimed that such moves were made to stop him from forming the next government.

“My sympathies go to all those who under pressure have been made to leave the party,” he wrote in a tweet on Thursday. “And I commend and salute all the senior members who are resisting the extreme pressure to quit the party.”

Khan said: “The nation will always remember them for standing up for Haqeeqi Azaadi.”

Over the past few days, many leaders of PTI have parted ways with the former ruling party over the May 9 violent protests. People, which the government claims belong to the PTI, attacked state buildings in the wake of Khan’s arrest.

PTI Chairman Khan has condemned and called for an independent inquiry into it as the government decides to try such suspects in military courts.

Amnesty International has expressed its concerns over the trail of civilians in Pakistan’s military courts, demanding the country to strike it down “immediately”.

“As per Article 14, a fair trial is one of the rights that must guarantee to all of its people and military courts just don’t provide a fair trial,” Dinushika Dissanayake, deputy regional director for South Asia at Amnesty International, told DW.

Pakistan is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – a treaty that bounds nations to respect civil and political rights, electoral rights, and rights to due process and a fair trial.

She went on to add that Peshawar High Court and Supreme Court have raised concerns about the way military courts were “run” in Pakistan. These include the selection of judges and private trials of the suspects.

She added that the country has ordinary criminal laws to respond to, stressing that military courts cannot be used. “By using military courts with over 1,000 people arrested with allegations of the arrest of different people at different times in ways that would violate human rights laws. The government is not just actually cracking down on dissent it’s creating a chilling effect on freedom of expression as a whole in the country,” said Dissanayake.

The regional director for South Asia was of the view that the use of military courts paves the way for other human rights violations: enforced disappearances and torture. She urged the government to transfer these cases to ordinary courts.

“The right to a fair trial, guaranteed by Pakistan’s constitution, is severely undermined by this move and cannot be justified. It must be struck down immediately,” said Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office.

https://www.aajenglish.tv/live/politics-may-19-2023