A Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court on Friday directed six PTI leaders, including PTI Secretary General Asad Umar, to appear before a joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe the March 18 Zaman Park clashes that took place between PTI supporters and the Punjab police.

On March 18, as PTI Chairman Imran Khan had left his Za­­man Park residence in La­­hore to appear before a judge in Islam­abad, a heavy contingent of police had launched a search operation at his house, leading to clashes between his party supporters and the police.

Previously, on March 29, a Lahore ATC had cancelled the interim pre-arrest bail of PTI leaders Umar and Farrukh Habib in another case of attacking police parties with petrol bombs and stones outside Zaman Park as they failed to turn up.

Today, the Lahore ATC issued these directives as it heard a plea of PTI leaders Umar, Yasmin Rashid, Zubair Niazi, Hassaan Niazi, Musarrat Cheema and Mian Javed Aslam Iqbal asking for an extension in their interim bail in a case of misbehaving with government officials and causing damage outside Zaman Park.

ATC Judge Abher Gul presided over the hearing while Barrister Salman Safdar appeared as the counsel for PTI leaders.

Earlier today, the court directed the PTI leaders to record their statements in the JIT and had adjourned the hearing till 10am. It directed the leaders to appear before the JIT this afternoon, the court extended their interim bail in the case till April 27.

The hearing

At the outset of the hearing, JIT chief SSP Imran Kishwar informed the court that only Umar had joined the investigation process and “no one other than him” had done so.

The court then directed the suspects to join the investigation today. At this, SSP Kishwar said, “All suspects may come to our office and join the investigation.”

Barrister Safdar then said, “All persons can join the investigation in the court as well.” The court then directed SSP Kishwar to record the suspects’ statements and adjourned the hearing till 10am.

Upon the resumption of the hearing, SSP Kishwar informed the court that all suspects had recorded their statements and that they needed to be questioned in the presence of witnesses.

The court then directed the suspects to appear in the JIT at 2:30pm today and extended their interim bail till April 27.

At this point during the hearing, Rashid said, “There are election-related duties. Please give an appropriate date [for the next hearing].”

Judge Gul dismissed the plea saying that “election and this has to go hand in hand”.

Clashes outside Imran’s residence

On March 17, the LHC had allowed Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar to search Imran’s Zaman Park residence for an investigation into attacks on police teams when they had gone there to execute warrants issued by an Islamabad court for Imran’s arrest in the Toshakhana case.

The next day, the Punjab police had used construction machinery to break into Imran’s Zaman Park residence — while his wife and sister were inside — soon after the PTI chairman left for Islamabad to attend a hearing in the Toshakhana case.

Talking to reporters, Dr Uzma Khanum — the former premier’s sister — while complaining about the police “highhandedness”, had said the police carried out the operation without warrants and allegedly harassed women and tortured servants.

Dr Kha­num had said the policemen “seemed bloodthirsty” as they brutally thrashed un­­a­rmed people in the house and alleged that the pol­ice also abducted her hus­­­band and some servants.

The PTI leadership had also strongly condemned the “state terrorism” launched at Imran’s house which they claimed was part of the agenda set by PML-N Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz to arrest Imran.

Senior party leader Fawad Chaudhry had said the operation was in sheer violation of the LHC’s orders as the police did not inform the court’s nominated focal person Imran Kishwar before the raid.

He had further said the residence’s gates were razed with the help of excavators, while police officials scaled walls and tortured people inside the house.

The same day, Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar had said that “ammunition” — including petrol bombs — was recovered from Imran’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore during the police raid.

He had said the police arrested people who were involved in “firing slingshots and pelting stones” on the police and cases under Section 7 of the ATA were registered against them.

Caretaker Punjab Information Minister Amir Mir had also said that cases were registered against the “rioting elements” as they had caused great damage to property.