File photo of police gathered at Zaman Park
Punjab Police on Friday claimed to have arrested six more “terrorists” attempting to flee from Zaman Park, where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan resides, bringing to 14 the total number of people taken into custody since the interim government announced it had ‘evidence’ of the presence of “30-40 terrorists” in the area.
Speaking with media, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Bilal Saddique Kamyana said four of the alleged terrorists were involved in the attack on Askari Tower, while two had been among those who ransacked the Lahore Corps Commander’s house. A day earlier, caretaker Punjab Information Minister Aamir Mir had told media that eight “terrorists” had been arrested while attempting to escape from Zaman Park. He had alleged that the detained men had been identified and were allegedly involved in the attack on the Lahore Corps commander’s house during the riots triggered by the arrest of Khan on May 9.
The latest arrests come hours before a negotiation team headed by Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa is to reach Zaman Park to conduct a search of the PTI chief’s residence. The team, per the provincial government, would negotiate access with Khan to avoid any violence and had already secured search warrants for the PTI chief’s residence. Mir has said that if both sides arrive on consensus, around 400 police personnel would be involved in the search operation, which would cover Khan’s residence as well as the surrounding areas.
Roads leading to and around Zaman Park have been barricaded since Wednesday, with both entry and exist restricted to local residents.