Pak police breach former PM Imran Khan’s residence after he leaves for court hearing in Islamabad
Lahore (PTI): Over 10,000 policemen launched a major operation at Imran Khan's Zaman Park residence here and arrested dozens of workers of his party even as the former Pakistan prime minister is in Islamabad to attend a hearing in a corruption case.
The police personnel removed barricades from the entrance of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chief's residence and removed all camps the PTI activists had erected to protect their leader.
During the operation, some 10 workers reportedly were injured and over 30 were arrested.
Footages on social media show police beating PTI workers after entering Khan's residence, where the 70-year-old leader claims his wife Bushra Bibi is also present.
Punjab caretaker government information minister Amir Mir told reporters that the police operation has been launched to clear the Zaman Park area.
"Zaman Park had become a no-go area. As many as 10,000 Punjab police took part in the operation to clear it. We had also reports that the members of banned organisations were also hissing there," he said.
The minister further said a number of PTI workers have been taken into custody.
During the operation, Mir said three policemen and six PTI workers suffered injuries.
He said that police had search warrants for Imran Khan's residence. "The anti-terrorism court had issued the search warrants of Khan's residence and (only) after that police entered his house," he said.
The ousted prime minister, decrying the police operation, tweeted: "(As I left for Islamabad to attend Toshakhana hearing) meanwhile Punjab police have led an assault on my house in Zaman Park where Bushra Begum is alone."
"Under what law are they doing this? This is part of the London Plan where commitments were made to bring absconder Nawaz Sharif to power as quid pro quo for agreeing to one appointment."
Khan, in a video message, said the incumbent government wanted to put him in jail at the demand of its exiled leader Nawaz Sharif. "They wanted to hold elections after sending me to jail. They have completely been exposed," he said.
Today's action comes as the Lahore High Court earlier on Friday granted a request by Punjab IGP Dr. Usman Anwar to search Khan's Zaman Park residence as part of an investigation into attacks on police teams, Dawn newspaper reported.
Khan also tweeted the siege of Lahore was not about ensuring his appearance in the court but aimed at imprisoning him and preventing him from leading the PTI's election campaign.
The PTI leader has been in the crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana, and selling them for profit.
Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.
Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan in October last year for not sharing details of the sales.
The election body later filed a complaint with the district court to punish him, under criminal laws, for selling the gifts he had received as prime minister of the country.
Khan, who has vehemently denied those charges, is set to be indicted in the case.
Meanwhile, Islamabad police have issued a traffic advisory, stating that due to tight security measures around the Judicial Complex in G-11, citizens may face difficulty in traffic movement, leading to inconvenience.
The Islamabad administration on Friday night imposed Section 144 in the capital, prohibiting private companies, security guards, or individuals from carrying weapons. It is mandatory for drivers to carry their vehicle registration documents while driving.
The government had on Friday shifted the venue of the additional sessions court to a comparatively safer Judicial Complex for the hearing of the case after the PTI raised security concerns, Dawn reported.
Dear World,
— Usman Farhat (@UsmanFarhat) March 18, 2023
This is what's happening in Pakistan today, to avoid elections in Pakistan, the whole state machinery is being used to unleash fascism and illegal acts against former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In a recent episode today, They broke the former PM's house walls and… https://t.co/qNJO0KcwVp pic.twitter.com/NZjsevVCDK
🚨 Shocking footages coming from Imran Khan’s residence in Lahore.
— Shiffa Z. Yousafzai (@Shiffa_ZY) March 18, 2023
Police is beating his house help. Thousands of Punjab Police personnel at Imran Khan’s Lahore residence where former first lady Bushra Imran Khan is also present alone with Khan’s sister Uzma. pic.twitter.com/9op47Lar3L
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Increasing wild animals amid decreasing forest cover contributes to human-animal conflicts: Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre told the Legislative Assembly on Thursday that the increase in the population of wild animals like tigers and elephants, amid a decrease in forest cover in the state, is contributing to human-animal conflicts.
The minister was responding to questions raised by MLAs, including Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka in the Assembly.
"The number of animals has increased. In 1972, Bandipur had 12 tigers. Now, there are 175 tigers. Regarding the carrying capacity (at Bandipur), we have formed a team of experts and will be getting a report from them," Khandre said.
He said, "Forest cover is not increasing proportionately with the rise in animal population. In fact, forests have decreased. We are trying to save forests."
Ashoka sought to know from the minister if the government's recent decision to halt safaris had decreased human-animal conflict.
In November 2025, the government stopped safaris at Bandipur and Nagarhole tiger reserves following a spate of tiger attacks that resulted in human deaths. However, in February, the government decided to lift the safari ban.
Explaining the decision to stop safari, Khandre said, "Safari was not stopped all of a sudden. In November and December, human-animal conflict increased. In Bandipur and the surrounding areas, three lives were lost in a span of fifteen days due to tiger attack, while one person became permanently disabled".
"When I visited Chamarajanagara district, several people and organisations, including farmers, had submitted memoranda, as two lives were already lost by then."
"They had alleged that the safari vehicles were operating even during the night and they were not being regulated, more than the permitted number of people were coming for safari, and it should be halted, or else it may lead to the loss of more lives," he said, adding that based on the memorandum, he had asked officials to examine things.
As there was one more tiger attack in a week's time, the minister further said, following this, he immediately ordered to stop the safari. "Yes, lots of tourists come for the safaris..... Livelihoods were also lost. There was a loss of Rs 6-8 crore. But we wanted to save lives," he said.
Noting that Bandipur has a periphery of 314 km, of which 100 km is a maximum conflict zone, Khandre said. "In that region, we have 25 anti-poaching camps and round-the-clock patrols, with all required facilities. We have set up an integrated command centre. Drone cameras and other facilities have been provided there," he said.
He said the decision to reopen the Bandipur safari was made after regulating things, based on the recommendations in the interim report from a committee consisting of a central government representative.
The government is conducting an outreach programme in 70 villages around the periphery of Bandipur forest, where the government will use 35 per cent of the income from safaris on education and livelihood improvement, Khandre said.
Responding to another question by Malavalli Congress MLA P M Narendraswamy, the minister said, elephant attacks are also on the rise day by day.
"There are several reasons for this. The elephant population has increased. The elephant corridor has been fragmented due to various developmental works like expressways, among others," he said.
Stating that the government has taken various measures to stop this, Khandre said, "The government is erecting 116 km of railway barricades at a cost of Rs 201 crore. They are at various stages....we are also taking up other measures like tentacle fencing. We also have an elephant task force and a leopard task force (to tackle leopard attacks), command centres, and use of modern technologies to monitor the movement of wild animals."
The minister accepted the request of Sullya BJP MLA Bhagirathi Murulya to allow the trekking at Kumara Parvatha, considered one of the toughest trails in the Western Ghats, from 5.30 am instead of the current 6 am.
"The Subramanya-Kumara Parvatha is 12 km, up and down it is a 24-km, 2-day trek. Earlier, the trek started at 6 am, and people had to camp at one location that had no basic facilities, coupled with wildlife movement," Khandre said.
Considering all these factors, the time was changed by senior officials in June 2024, he said. "Now, the 14-km Beedahalli-Kumara Parvatha trek takes 7 hours. The 19-km Beedahalli-Kumara Parvatha-Subramaya needs 10-12 hours.
The Subramanya-Shesha Parvatha-Subramanya is 20 km. Those who start at 6 am have to return before 6 pm.....The starting time will be changed to 5.30 am," he said.
Noting that beyond the carrying capacity, about 2,000-3,000 people used to gather there for trekking sometimes, which could cause disaster, the minister said.
"It has been decided to regulate it by allowing only 150 people per day. The trek happens for six months; it cannot be done during the monsoon and when there are chances of wildfire during summer."
