Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan ‘evades’ arrest in Toshakhana case

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan seemingly evaded arrest on Sunday after a team from the Islamabad police reached his Lahore residence to detain him in connection with the Toshakhana case.

The team arrived at Khan’s residence to arrest him but he wasn’t in his room, according to a post on Twitter by the Islamabad police.
The former cricketer-turned-politician has been in the crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier, at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana and selling them for profit.
The 70-year-old chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who has been recovering from a gunshot injury from an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year, has thrice skipped indictment hearings in an Islamabad sessions court in the case.

In a series of other tweets, the Islamabad police said that “all operations are being completed with the cooperation of Lahore Police” and that “legal action will be taken against those obstructing the execution of the court orders”.
Hundreds of PTI supporters had gathered at Khan’s residence and initially blocked the police from entering the house.
A Pakistani court had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Khan on February 28 in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that any attempt to arrest Khan would seriously worsen the situation. “I want to warn this incompetent and anti-Pakistan government not to push Pakistan into further crisis and act sensibly, the workers should reach Zaman Park,” he wrote on Twitter.

Imran Khan was ousted as PM in April 2022 after losing a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.
(With inputs from agencies)