Pak govt withdraws security of Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Police on Friday withdrew security from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s residence, Bani Gala, in the federal capital and the caretaker government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) also recalled the K-P security personnel guarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, The News International reported.

The security has been withdrawn when Imran Khan is accusing the former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari of hatching a conspiracy to assassinate him by giving a contract to a terrorist outfit, Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Khan while holding a news conference from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore via a video link, termed the alleged conspiracy ‘Plan-C’ for which he accused Zardari of paying money to a terrorist outfit to carry out the assassination attempt, the Pakistan-based newspaper reported.

It is pertinent to mention that a total of 50 police personnel from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were deployed for Khan’s safety after the Wazirabad attack on him.

As per reports, following the appointment of the caretaker Punjab chief minister on January 22, the provincial government sent a letter to the KP government on January 24 to withdraw Khan’s security, The News International reported.

“Bani Gala is the former prime minister’s private residence. He has not been staying in Islamabad for the past several months,” a spokesperson for the capital’s police said. In Khan’s absence, the spokesperson said, police from Islamabad and other provinces cannot be deployed over there. Frontier Corps and KP Police, as per the sources, were also withdrawn, the Daily Times reported.

PTI leader Shibli Faraz, while talking to the media, confirmed the news and said that a letter had been received from the Punjab government in which the security of Imran Khan has been withdrawn.

Faraz said that the former premier’s security is “his right” and that if “something happens to Imran, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and puppet government will be responsible”.

Khan after the arrest of PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that efforts were on to arrest and silence him. He, however, said he did not fear death or detention because he had seen death very closely, Pakistan based The News International Newspaper reported.

Khan was attacked in Wazirabad on November 23 while he was leading the “Azadi March” against the PML-N demanding snap polls. The law enforcement agencies arrested suspect Naveed Meher from the site of the attack. The suspect also admitted to opening fire on the PTI leadership.

The first information report of the incident was lodged on November 7 under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. The probe into the assassination attempt on Imran Khan had been handed over to an anti-corruption officer by Dogar, as per the sources within the JIT.

According to The News International report, Ghulam Mahmood Dogar had been given the responsibility of interrogating the suspect by anti-corruption officer Anwar Shah and no other member was given access to the attacker.