Imran Khan facing arrest? Reports cite Pak govt's plan ahead of ‘Azadi March’

Imran Khan, former Pakistan Prime Minister and chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), will in all likelihood be arrested or put under house arrest in connection to foreign funding case, local reports said Friday citing sources. The development came hours after PTI leaders including Tariq Shafi, Hamid Zaman and Saif Niazi were arrested by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) the same day.

According to a report by ARY News, the order was issued by Pakistan interior minister Rana Sanaullah to authorities concerned to lodge a case against Khan.

Pakistan's leading daily Dawn had also cited sources saying that the federal government had given the police green signal to put Imran Khan under house arrest at his Banigala residence following the announcement of the much-hyped ‘Azadi march’.

The report claimed that the government had prepared a “Plan B” to arrest the PTI chief before entering Islamabad in case he began his march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Punjab, or at Rawat T-Cross if he tried to enter the capital from the south. Police was also to be deployed to arrest him in Tarnol, in case he tried to march on the capital from the northwest.

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PTI leader Saifullah Niazi was also taken into custody by the FIA's cybercrime wing, on charges of running an ‘unauthorized’ website, which was allegedly being used for illegal fundraising, the ARY news report said.

Meanwhile, PTI leader Fawad Hussain Chaudhry called the arrests a sign that the Shehbaz Sharif-led government was ‘panicking’ after the announcement of the protest march.

“After Shehbaz Sharif's press conference yesterday and the subsequent arrests of Tariq Shafi, Hamid Zaman and Saif Niazi, it is clear that the government is panicking and is scared after the announcement of 'Azadi March',” Chaudhry said in a tweet.

Imran Khan directed party workers to get ready for the 'Haqeeqi Azadi March' in Islamabad, triggering the government to call out army and deploy troops in the capital city if he gave a call for the march.

While addressing a mega rally last month in Punjab's Rahimyar Khan district, Khan had said he would give the final call for the protests when he is assured that he can “take three wickets in one ball”.

The ousted Pakistan prime minister claimed that there is only one way for Pakistan to come out of the prevailing situation and that is to ensure fresh general elections in the country.