Islamabad police attempts to arrest ex-PM Khan in Lahore

Police from Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad attempted to arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the city of Lahore after a court order, but said he evaded their efforts. 

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. 

“All operations are being completed with the cooperation of Lahore Police,” the Islamabad police said on Twitter. “Legal action will be taken against those obstructing the execution of court orders.”

A Pakistani court issued an arrest warrant against Khan last month after he did not appear in a hearing for a complaint filed by the Election Commission. 

Khan has been mostly confined to his home in Lahore since being shot and wounded in the leg during a street protest in November. He has blamed Premier Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and a general in the country’s powerful spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, for the attack.

All three have denied the allegation.

The Islamabad police’s insistence for arrest is illegal since the court order is only to appear before it, Khan’s party spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said on Twitter.