Facing heat in Toshakhana case, Imran Khan forms committee to lead party if arrested

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is facing corruption charges in the Toshakhana case, has formed a committee to lead his party in case he is arrested, reported news agency Reuters.

A vehicle in the PTI chief’s convoy met with an accident on Saturday while heading to Islamabad in connection with a hearing in the Toshakhana case.

Accompanied by a convoy of his party workers, the PTI chief departed from his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore, and was en route to Islamabad when the accident happened. However, Khan’s car was safe and no one was hurt.

“I have made a committee which will obviously take decisions once – if – I’m inside” jail, the 70-year-old told Reuters in an interview in his Lahore home before heading to Islamabad early on Saturday. He said there were 94 cases against him. He made the statement before his appearance before a court that had issued arrest warrants for him.

Khan, who has several cases against him, said there is no reason to arrest him now as he had been given bail in all his cases. “The establishment right now somehow feels threatened by me. And that is the issue,” the former Pakistan prime minister said.

If convicted in a case, Khan could face disqualification from contesting the elections scheduled for November.

“My life is even more at threat than it was then,” he said, adding that he was worried about the reaction to his arrest or any attempt to assassinate him. “I feel that there would be a very strong reaction, and it would be a reaction all over Pakistan.”

While Imran Khan was heading to Islamabad for a court hearing in a corruption case, police entered the home of Imran Khan, Zamana Park in Lahore.

A local court in Islamabad is set to resume hearing of the Toshakhana case against Imran Khan, who avoided arrest despite a protracted effort by law enforcement personnel to apprehend him for skipping multiple previous hearings.

“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,” Imran Khan tweeted.

Imran Khan, who was shot and wounded while campaigning in November last year, had said in an interview that the threat to his life is greater than before.