LAHORE: A Punjab government delegation has arrived at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s residence to mull over the SOPs for a search operation as the authorities claim there are “30-40 terrorists” present inside Zaman Park. 

The delegation — led by Lahore’s commissioner and including SP, DIG, and lady police personnel — came to Zaman Park after the authorities received search warrants from an anti-terrorism court to raid the former prime minister’s residence.

The development comes after the Punjab government decided to send a team to hold talks with the PTI leadership before conducting the search operation at Zaman Park.

The discussions with Khan have ended and negotiations with his legal team have begun, Geo News’ onsite reporter Azam Malik said. 

The Punjab government on Wednesday had claimed that “30-40 terrorists were hiding inside Imran Khan’s residence” and gave 24 hours to PTI to hand over these miscreants or face action.

However, no action was taken after the deadline expired on Thursday.

Later, Punjab Information Minister Amir Mir said that law enforcers will conduct a search operation at Imran Khan’s residence after his permission and in front of cameras to apprehend “terrorists”.

“We [the interim government] have decided that instead of a head-on collision, we will send a delegation to Khan sahab under the supervision of the Lahore commissioner,” Mir told Geo News.

“They will ask him [Khan] to allow them to conduct a search operation. A police party — comprising 400 personnel — will accompany the delegation as there is a reported presence of terrorists,” he said.

Six more terrorists arrested

Earlier, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Bilal Saddique Kamyana claimed to have arrested six more “terrorists” attempting to flee from Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence.

According to CCPO Kamyana four of the alleged “terrorists” were involved in the attack on Askari Tower while two of them were among those who ransacked the Corps Commander House Lahore.

On Thursday, Punjab Caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir shared that eight “terrorists” had been arrested while they were escaping from Lahore’s Zaman Park area.

The detained terrorists were already identified and are allegedly involved in the attack on the Lahore Corps Commander House on May 9, he had said.

Refrence against judge  

CCPO Kamyana’s confirmation of the arrests came hours before a negotiation team headed by Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa was scheduled to meet PTI leaders regarding a search operation at Zaman Park. 

Meanwhile, the road between Mall Road and Dharmapura in Lahore has been closed off by the police, while all the roads leading to Zaman Park have been cordoned off.

During a meeting today, CM Punjab Mohsin Naqvi ordered that the cases registered against the miscreants must be pursued with full force and that the “fugitives” should be arrested as soon as possible.

The meeting was held to review the law and order situation in the province and the progress made so far in search of perpetrators involved in the May 9 protests.

The participants of the meeting also expressed concerns over the alleged facilitation of those who attacked the office of the Inter-services Intelligence (ISI) office in Faisalabad. 

Those accused of being involved in the attack include Ali Afzal Sahi, who is reportedly a close relative of a judge, amongst others.

It was also decided in the session that a reference would be sent against a judge for providing extraordinary facilities to terrorists, while the “illegal and unconstitutional facilitation” of those accused of the violence will also be challenged.

“Facilitation of the suspects is equivalent to murder of justice,” the meeting observed.