Altercation between 'miscreants', police outside Imran Khan's residence

Police contradict PTI account that no police or security was present outside the PTI chief's Islamabad house.

ISLAMABAD: An altercation took place on Wednesday evening outside Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence between miscreants and police personnel.

An official statement by PTI central information secretary Dr Shireen Mazari said that as many as 100 miscreants allegedly put party chairman Imran Khan and his family’s lives at risk while the police and local administration did not respond “despite repeated calls”.

The statement claimed that Imran’s brother-in-law was beaten and his female family members were abused as the house gate collapsed under pressure from the hordes of attackers who “reached his house because no police protection was provided despite repeated demands.”

Police officials though contradicted the official PTI account that no security was present outside Imran’s house. “They entered the house on finding the front door open,” said a police official from Bhara Kahu police station. The officer added that the alleged miscreants did not resist when they were stopped by police.

The police in-charge deployed at the site said that they called for police reinforcements, but the protesters, following a brief verbal exchange, withdrew.

“No reserve police was then required and was not sent,” said the police officer. However, he maintained that appropriate security arrangements were in place at the residence of the PTI chief.

Police said no arrests were made.

‘Interior minister should resign’

Mazari, while condemning the incident, sought the immediate resignation of the caretaker interior minister.

“We demand the immediate resignation of the interior minister who has deliberately failed to provide security to Imran Khan despite repeated formal requests by the Party leadership.”

The press release further stated: “The Minister has already displayed a public bias towards PML-N and now his refusal to provide the required security to the PTI Chairman put the life of the Chairman and his family directly at risk.”

“Given the information about the security threat to Imran Khan’s life, this brazen act of denying security by the Interior Minister is nothing short of sheer recklessness and irresponsibility.”