Pakistani police officials traveled to ousted former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s residence in an attempt to deliver an arrest warrant, but he wasn’t home, officials said Sunday.
Khan was found guilty last October of selling gifts to foreign dignitaries and is facing a mandated court appearance, according to authorities. Since his ouster last year from a parliamentary no-confidence vote, Khan has demanded a snap election and led protests that have roiled the nation.
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“A team of Islamabad police has arrived in Lahore to arrest Imran Khan to comply with the court orders,” police said in a tweet. “Imran Khan is reluctant to surrender — the superintendent of police had gone into the room but Imran Khan was not present there.”
Authorities arrived at Khan’s residence, not just to serve him an arrest warrant but also to arrest him, Islamabad police inspector general Akbar Nasir Khan said, Al Jazeera reported. Khan is facing numerous charges, including corruption and terrorism.
His supporters and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party loyalists staged demonstrations over the apparent arrest attempt.
“Police say Imran Khan is avoiding arrest. However, the police’s insistence to arrest Khan is illegal,” PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry told reporters, according to the news outlet. “They want Imran Khan to go to court where security is lax, and there’s a risk to his life.”
Since his ousting, Khan has led a slew of national protests and was shot late last year at one of the demonstrations. Khan blamed his absence from court on concerns from that shooting last year.
“They (the police) know there is a threat against my life,” he said, according to Reuters, before arguing that the courts did not provide sufficient security.
He is currently mandated to appear in court on March 7, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said, per Reuters.
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Khan, 70, is a former cricket star who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. Since 1947, Pakistan has been ruled by 29 prime ministers, none of which have finished a full term.
Experts have raised concerns about the civil-military relationship in the country and surmised that its armed forces have a pronounced role in its political system. Pakistan has an estimated nuclear stockpile of over a hundred warheads.
