‘Plan was not my arrest but assassination’

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former premier Imran Khan on Tuesday penned another letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Atta Bandial claiming that "unknown" individuals were present at the Islamabad Judicial Complex to assassinate him.

Imran made the claim seeking permission to continue court appearances via video link due to security concerns.

"I have been consistently requesting for video link facility from courts for my multiple court appearances since I am now facing over 90 cases," the PTI chief said, claiming that during court visits, he was provided with "no security" despite an "assassination plot already attempted against my [Imran's] life".

Read Judiciary on Imran’s side unlike Nawaz: lawyers

The ousted premier alleged that upon his arrival at Islamabad for his most recent court appearance, his convoy "was trapped on all sides by containers to block arrival at the [Judicial] Complex and before the Magistrate to deliberately try and create a false situation of 'no show'".

Imran also claimed that his supporters who had gathered to express their solidarity were "provoked" by the police and Rangers deployed at the premises who resorted to tear gas shelling, baton charge and stone pelting against "unarmed citizens and PTI leadership".

"When I was halfway through the gate of the complex the police attacked the workers around my car without any provocation," he said, stressing that it was at this point that he realised "that something was amiss and that it was not my arrest that was being planned but my assassination".

"What led credence to this was that while our lawyers were not allowed inside the Complex and were beaten back from the door, about 20 or more Unknown ("Namaloom") people (not uniformed and with no identity displayed) were allowed inside", he said claiming that they were "clearly" there to assassinate Imran.

Read: Zaman Park operation: Cases registered against PTI leadership, workers

The PTI chief also brought to the CJP's attention the unprecedented "assault" on his Zaman Park residence while he was in Islamabad, which he maintained was "in complete violation of the orders passed by the Honourable Lahore High Court (LHC)".

"My wife, a very private, non-political person was alone in the house at the time with a couple of domestic staff," he said while accusing the police of "illegal entry" by "breaking" the gate to his residence and "violating the Islamic principle of sanctity of 'chadar and chardiwari' [viel and home]".

Under the circumstances, Imran sought relief from the CJP from court appearances and requested him the launch an investigation into the aforementioned events.

It may be noted that an application seeking similar relaxations is pending with the LHC.

On Monday, the court directed the PTI counsel to visit Imran's residence in Zaman Park to confirm police deployment to ensure his security and is scheduled to resume hearing the case today.