Violence erupts in Pakistan as PTI workers clash with police

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Clashes between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and police led to violent unrest in the country as the election commission disqualified former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case.

Violence erupted soon after the police contingents confronted PTI workers after the election body announced the verdict, reported ARY News.

During the protests, the police arrested PTI MNA Saleh Muhammad and his guard from the ECP office.

The situation became tense after KP police opened fire on capital police deployed outside the ECP office to neutralise the situation, however it only backfired, ARY News reported.

Moreover, the PTI workers have blocked roads and streets to protest. According to local media, the workers have set ablaze tyres and blocked traffic in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other cities of Pakistan.

The agitators also raised slogans against PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s disqualification.

In its verdict on Imran Khan on Friday, the electoral watchdog, ECP stated that Imran Khan submitted a false affidavit and was found involved in corrupt practices.

Earlier on September 19, in the Toshakhana case hearing, Imran Khan’s counsel Ali Zafar admitted that his client had sold at least four presents he had received during 2018-19.

“The gifts were sold for Rs 58 million and their receipts were enclosed with the income tax returns filed by my client,” the lawyer apprised the ECP.

In August, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) filed the reference claiming that Khan had paid for only some items that he took home from the ‘Toshakhana’, but most items that he took from the government treasure house were done so without paying for them.

In the reference, it was alleged that Khan did not disclose the gifts he took and concealed the information in his statements.

Reportedly, gifts received by government officials are to be reported immediately, to enable their value to be assessed. Only after an assessment is conducted can the recipient take away the gift, if he wants to keep it, after depositing a specific amount.

These gifts either remain deposited in the Toshakhana or can be auctioned and the money acquired through it is to be deposited into the national treasury.

Last month, the former Pakistan Prime Minister sold three expensive watches from the government treasure house collectively worth more than 154 million Pakistani rupees (PKR) to a local watch dealer, media reports said.

Imran Khan reportedly earned millions of rupees from these jewel-class watches gifted to him by foreign dignitaries, The News International newspaper reported. (ANI)