Intent was to "abduct, assassinate" me, says Imran Khan

LAHORE : Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief Imran Khan on Wednesday alleged that the "real intent" of Pakistan Police was to "abduct and assassinate" him.

"Clearly 'arrest' claim was mere drama because real intent is to abduct & assassinate. From tear gas & water cannons, they have now resorted to live firing. I signed a surety bond last evening, but the DIG refused to even entertain it. There is no doubt of their mala fide intent," Khan posted on Twitter today.

The former Pakistan prime minister claimed that his house has been under heavy attack since yesterday afternoon.

"Latest attack by Rangers, pitting the largest pol party against the army. This is what PDM and the enemies of Pakistan want. No lessons learnt from the East Pakistan tragedy," Khan said.

In an online address to the country Khan stated that "hope lies with the courts and establishment" in ending this "farce" as law enforcement agencies made another push to enter the former prime minister's Zaman Park residence in Lahore, Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper reported.

"It will [soon] be out of our hands... the kinds of actions that are taking place... the boys (workers) outside are not listening to me. I have no control over them now," the PTI chief said in an address to workers via video link.

Khan said hope now lies with the judiciary and the establishment. "And the second hope we are seeing is from the establishment of this country [...] do you have an interest in Pakistan or not? ... end the farce that is happening [and] think about the country. Do not work on this London plan.

This country is heading towards destruction. It is my appeal to all of you that now, think of this country," he said as quoted by Dawn.

With Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA)s at the entrance of his house, Imran asked what his crime was, saying that "never have we ever witnessed this ... never have I ever seen such an attack on a political leader's house".

Imran stated that the case against him was being heard at the F8 Katcheri in Islamabad, where blasts have been reported in the past.

"So many lawyers and judges have lost their lives", the Pakistan daily reported. He said that the Interior Ministry has itself said that his life was in danger "and yet again they are doing all this".

"What did I want? All I had asked for was for the case to be transferred to a court with adequate security. But arrest warrants were issued for me. It is unprecedented that an ex-prime minister has been refused security and is being attacked," he said.

Speaking with a stack of spent tear gas shells on his desk, Imran said that not just shells but bullets too were being fired at his residence and called the entire chaos a "plan".

"I was ready to go [to jail] and my bags were packed but my workers stopped me ... they knew that ever since we were ousted, PTI leaders were subjected to custodial torture ... and my workers feared the same for me," the Khan also called on "those who call themselves neutral" and asked them why Rangers were sent to his house, according to Dawn.

PTI on Wednesday claimed that party chief Imran Khan was attacked with "bullets, expired tear gas and etc."

"Pakistan's most popular leader and former Prime Minister was attacked through bullets, expired tear gas and etc. The fascism of this regime stands exposed," PTI tweeted on its official Twitter handle at 11:52 am on Wednesday.

The party also alleged that Zaman Park, the location of the house in which PTI chairman was holed up, is "under extreme attack" by law enforcement personnel, Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper reported.