According to Dawn, Pakistan’s federal capital police arrested former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan, his close aide Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and scores of followers in three different terrorist investigations.
Police in Islamabad launched four separate cases against PTI officials, activists, and supporters on various accusations, including violating the Anti-Terrorism Act, and detained over two dozen people.
The additional charges come at a time when Imran Khan is already being held without bail 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), Section 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 filed at the police stations in Bhara Kahu, Khanna, and Tarnol.
The FIRs filed at Khanna and Bhara Kahu police stations held Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi responsible for the PTI activists’ actions. The complainants claimed that PTI supporters harassed businesses and forced them to close their doors. According to the FIRs, PTI employees said that they were following the directives of Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
According to Geo News, the Islamabad High Court denied the PTI chairman’s request for the stay of non-bailable arrest warrants issued in the Toshakhana case on Wednesday.
Extra districts and sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal issued the previously reserved ruling, asking the police to arrest the former prime minister and bring him before the court on March 18.
The situation near Khan’s Zaman Park mansion seemed to be peaceful on Wednesday morning, after the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) orders to halt the police operation until 10 a.m. When the hearing started again on Thursday, the court made sure to say that it had not stopped the police from carrying out the arrest orders. According to Geo News, the court also told PTI to handle the current situation.
PTI workers and police fought for more than 24 hours as Zaman Park turned into a battlefield. Police were trying to get past Khan’s supporters and arrest him, even though he was no longer prime minister since he was voted out of office in April.
Hundreds of people were wounded, including police officers and PTI employees, when law enforcement used tear gas and party supporters threw Molotov cocktails.
Khan’s legal actions started after he was removed from office in a legislative vote early last year. Since then, he has held protests across the country calling for quick elections. During one of these, he was shot and hurt.
 leader Imran Khan, his close aide Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and scores of followers in three different terrorist investigations.){kind=link}