Bushra warns of legal action if Zaman Park attacked

Bushra Bibi, the former first lady and wife of ex-prime minister Imran Khan, has warned caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that their offices will be responsible if an operation is carried out at the Zaman Park residence during the Eidul Fitr holidays.

In a nine-page letter sent to the authorities via her counsel Azhar Siddique under articles 9, 14, 15, 16 and 17 of the Constitution, Bushra asked the PM and CM to “refrain the authorities from conducting any operation without adopting the due process of law”.

The letter referred to the police action at Zaman Park on March 18 when Imran had left his Lahore residence for Islamabad to appear in a case.

It added that the raid back then was conducted by a “platoon of officers” without the presence of a female police officer, as instructed by a court.

The letter stated that Bushra was working on the “rehabilitation” of Zaman Park since the last attack and she had “serious apprehension” that the police were planning another operation during the EidulFitr holidays which was why she approached the CM and PM.

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She warned the CM and the PM that if the operation was carried out, it would be a violation of articles 10-A, 4 and 5.

“Furthermore, if any such operation is carried out at Zaman Park, Lahore or at any nearby place, the prime minister, chief minister and other officer(s) would be held responsible and appropriate actions or remedies shall be taken in due course of law and this representation(s) may be considered as a warning against taking any action in violation of fundamental rights which are in the negation of Article 10-A read with articles 4 & 5 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973,” the letter said.

The letter came after the Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed a petition filed by Bushra a day earlier to "halt expected police action" at Zaman Park.

Bushra's petition had nominated the Ministry of Interior, the Punjab inspector general of police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as respondents.

Besides Bushra, Imran also fears that police action might be launched at Zaman Park during the Eid holidays.

During the hearing of a separate case at the LHC earlier this week, Imran had informed the court of his fears that another "operation" would be launched during the Eid holidays. Subsequently, the court directed the police not to "harass" Imran.