Lahore,UPDATED: May 18, 2023 20:02 IST
By Hamza Ameer: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been given an offer by “powerful elements” to face Army Act charges and go to jail or go to London in exile, sources told India Today. Khan, who faces multiple cases including some under the Army Act, has consulted with his close party leaders on the offer he received, sources added.
Imran Khan was given a deadline to accept the offer, sources said, but it is not clear when that deadline ends.
Imran Khan, who was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, cannot be arrested till May 31 as the Islamabad High Court ruled in favour of the former Pakistan PM.
READ | ‘London plan is out’: Imran Khan says Pak military plans to jail him for 10 years
The court was hearing PTI’s plea seeking details of all the cases filed against Khan. The former PM’s party said the PTI chief was booked in over 100 cases across the country.
However, Imran Khan, who skipped a summons in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Thursday, is at the centre of another controversy as police have gathered outside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
The police surrounded Imran Khan’s residence after the Punjab government claimed that 30 to 40 “terrorists” were hiding inside Zaman Park. The administration gave an ultimatum of 24 hours to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief to hand them over or face stern action.
Speaking to Deutsche Welle in his first interview since the lapse of the Punjab government’s 24-hour deadline, Imran Khan said police were still surrounding his residence.
The police may launch a security operation any time to arrest the “terrorists” allegedly holed up in Khan’s residence.
On May 9, violent protests erupted after Imran Khan was arrested in a corruption case. His party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Jinnah House (Lahore Corps Commander house), Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was also attacked by the mob for the first time.
Police put the death toll in violent clashes to 10 while Khan’s party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the firing by security personnel.
