BackPakistan clashes: Imran Khan says his arrest part of 'London Plan'
Yesterday violent clashes erupted between Imran Khan's supporters and Pakistan's police in LahoreImran Khan has been embroiled in several court cases since his ousting early last year in a parliament vote of confidence
PremiumFormer Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan slammed the incumbent Shehbaz Sharif-led government for planning his arrest. He said it was all part of the 'London plan' to finish cases against the country's former premier Nawaz Sharif.
Yesterday violent clashes erupted between Imran Khan.s supporters and Pakistan's police in Lahore.
Post the clashes, Khan shared a video message on social media in which he said, "The way we were targeted by the police, it is a first. There is no reason why they have taken this step. My bail was on the 18th. They knew why I was not attending the bail… because of security".
“They are preparing again, I know. I have given an undertaking in the Lahore High Court that I will be in court on the 18th. But it was not accepted," Khan said.
“Why was it not taken? Because London is part of the plan. Nawaz Sharif has been given assurance that me and my party will be attacked and pulled down," he added.
Yesterday Pakistani police and Khan's supporters fought pitched battles outside the former prime minister's home in the eastern city of Lahore, injuring several on both sides.
The police charged the supporters with batons and lobbed teargas shells.
Similar clashes took place last week.
Live TV footage showed the supporters also using sling shots and attacking the police with bricks and sticks.
After 10 hours of clashes, police were no closer to arresting Khan and officers moved back at midnight as the number of Khan's supporters grew.
The former premier has been embroiled in several court cases since his ousting early last year in a parliament vote of confidence.
He has been demanding snap polls in protest rallies across the country, a move his successor Shehbaz Sharif has rejected, saying the elections would be held as scheduled later this year.
Khan was also shot and wounded in one of these rallies.
The former premier has avoided appearances before the court since November when he was wounded in a gun attack at a protest rally in the eastern Punjab province, claiming he was not medically fit to travel from Lahore to Islamabad to face indictment.
Last week, he went to Islamabad to appear before three courts, but he failed to appear before the fourth court to face indictment in the graft case, which is a legal process for starting his trial.
Khan has claimed that the string of cases against him, which includes terrorism charges, is a plot by the government of his successor, Prime Minister Sharif, to discredit the former cricket star turned Islamist politician.
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