"There were over 50 policemen who stormed into my house and they came in about ten cars," the PTI member said. "Things are not going well for me and my family, but we are trying to deal with the situation as best we can," he said.
The politician added that this was not the first raid on his house as just a few weeks ago armed rangers had stormed his house, he told Sputnik, and allegedly demanded to know the whereabouts of the politician, who had gone into hiding a few days earlier. The latter was forced to flee after the massive crackdown on PTI members erupted following May 9 riots.
Another senior PTI member has been missing for days as his location remains undisclosed, Sputnik has learnt.
It is unclear if he is in police custody or has fled to safety, but just hours before his disappearance the politician shared his fears with Sputnik, saying he was concerned about his safety as armed rangers had raided his house and arrested his staff members, taking them to unknown locations. At that time the politician was not at home, otherwise he would also have been taken away.
Political Crisis Deepens in Pakistan in Wake of Unprecedented Protests
Imran Khan, the former prime minister and head of Pakistan's most popular party has become a pariah after violent protests hit the country over his arrest.
As unprecedented civil unrest hit Pakistan, the PTI and its supporters have come under crackdown, being blamed for the riots and vandalism that engulfed the country.
Thousands of civilians took to the streets in all major cities across Pakistan to protest against the arrest of Imran Khan in early May. During the riots, several military buildings, including the Jinnah House in Lahore and Pakistan Radio Tower, were set on fire by angry mobs.
Pakistan's Army Chief General Asim Munir had vowed to punish every individual who was involved in attacking the military installations and even said the rioters would be put to trial in the military courts.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said that PTI supporters would be tried in Anti Terrorism Courts (ATC).
Recently renowned political writer Pervez Hoodbhoy has called the current situation a "mockery of justice." He explained that the May 9 rioters were not TTP terrorists and should not be tried by anti-terrorism courts.
"Punishing them is perhaps justifiable, but only after they are allowed to defend themselves in fair, transparent trials with access to their legal counsels," Hoodbhoy said.
As many as 10,000 PTI workers have since been arrested and many remain in unknown locations without any information of their wellbeing.
At present, Imran Khan is at his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore from where he has been talking to the international press regarding the current political situation in Pakistan. The ex-premier said he was convinced he would be tried in a military court by the army, but again, reiterated it was unconstitutional because "civilians and political chiefs cannot be tried by military courts unless they are known terrorists and pose a serious danger to the safety of the country."
Imran Khan Suspects Pre-Planned Scheme Behind His Troubles
During his nationwide address Khan announced that PTI's President of Punjab province, Dr. Yasmin Rashid had been acquitted by the high court and released from prison, declaring her innocent. She was earlier arrested by the police for allegedly perpetrating attacks on the Punjab House (Corp Commander House).
According to Khan, Dr Yasmin's acquittal proves that the severe crackdown on PTI was a pre-planned effort by the military establishment and the current caretaker government.
"Dr Yasmin is our (PTI party provincial) President of Central Punjab, now that she has been acquitted by the court, it means that the arson at Corps Commander House and a few other places was not carried out as per party policy. It was not the party policy because Dr. Yasmin as provincial president was responsible for communicating party policy. So now that she has been acquitted, there is a video clip playing on YouTube and other social media platforms where she is repeatedly saying to the crowd, 'Kindly do not go inside. Please stay outside!' She is speaking on loudspeaker telling people not to go inside (Corp Commander House). This raises further questions like the fact that over 10,000 people have been thrown in jail; was it a pre-planned scheme?" Khan said.
"Were they to use arson at Corps Commander House and other places as a ploy to ban the whole PTI party? The brutality and violence that the party workers and leadership was subjected to, was all of this pre-planned?" he added.
"This is not the law of the world: you can't be a judge, jury and executioner. An independent inquiry takes place after an incident. Since I was released from jail I have repeatedly said that, even in front of the Chief Justice, I said that this isn't our policy. The party that wants elections doesn't want lawlessness, only the party that doesn't want elections wants lawlessness, and this whole thing was a conspiracy by them," Khan said.
Khan also questioned the alleged targeting of industries whose owners support PTI, saying that “In an economically devastated nation, [they] are shutting down companies that export products thinking of the nation and its people?”
Commenting on the situation, senior political analyst Asad Ullah Khan suggested the police rangers were not acting on army's direct orders, but instead have been given a free pass to intimidate PTI members whichever way they want.
The police and the paramilitary rangers would not raid homes and arrest people without the army's go ahead or the government turning a blind eye to the situation, Asad Ullah said.
"As there is no accountability imposed by the present government and the court orders are also being ignored, the Punjab Police is doing what it wants. Civilians whose homes are being destroyed, whose family members are being harassed, they can't even go and complain at a police station because it is the police that are harming them in the first place, so what choice do people really have?" the analyst concluded.