Pakistan police file fresh cases against Imran Khan, close aide Qureshi

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 17 (ANI): Pakistan's federal capital police booked former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and his close aide, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, alongwith dozens of supporters in three separate cases pertaining to terrorism, Dawn reported.
Islamabad police registered four separate cases against PTI leaders, activists and supporters on different charges, including Anti-Terrorism Act, and arrested over two dozen people.
The new cases came at a time when Khan is already facing non-bailable arrest warrants in the Toshakhana case.
In the FIR, registered with Bhara Kahu police station, Hamid Zaman Kiani, Naseem Abbasi, Shaikh Liaqat and Chaudhry Tariq, along with 40 unidentified persons, were booked on the charges of creating a civil commotion, and 21(i) (aid and abetment), along with Section 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and many more, Dawn reported.
Cases were registered at Bhara Kahu, Khanna and Tarnol police stations.
The FIR registered at Khanna and Bhara Kahu police stations blamed Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi for the action of PTI activists. The complainants stated that the PTI activists intimidated shopkeepers and forcefully shut down their shops. The PTI workers announced that they were obeying the orders of Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the FIRs added.
On Wednesday, the Islamabad High court rejected the PTI chairman's plea seeking the suspension of non-bailable arrest warrants issued in the Toshakhana case, Geo News reported.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal announced the verdict reserved earlier redirecting the authorities concerned to arrest the former prime minister and present him before the court on March 18.
On Wednesday morning, the situation at Khan's Zaman Park residence is seemingly calm following the Lahore High Court's (LHC) orders of stopping the police operation till 10 am. But when the court resumed the hearing on Thursday, it clarified that it has not stopped police from executing the arrest warrants and asked PTI to resolve the ongoing issue, Geo News reported.
PTI workers and police clashed for nearly 24 hours as Zaman Park virtually became a battleground, with the law enforcers trying to get through supporters and arrest Khan, who was voted out as the prime minister last April.
Scores of people, including police personnel and PTI workers, were injured in the process as the law enforcers fired teargas and party supporters resorted to throwing Molotov cocktails.
Legal proceedings against Khan began after he was ousted from office in a parliamentary vote early last year. Since then, he has held nationwide protest rallies demanding a snap election, during one of which he was shot and wounded. (ANI)