The Lahore High Court has ordered the police to stop the operation to arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan till 10am (05:00 GMT) on Thursday.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry seeking to stop the “atrocities” outside Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
The Islamabad High Court is also expected to deliver its verdict later on Wednesday on another PTI plea challenging the arrest warrant against Khan.
Federal information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has alleged that Pakistani security forces deployed at Imran Khan’s residence in Lahore were attacked by the police force from the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Gilgit-Baltistan is an autonomous region in northern Pakistan, whose government is currently controlled by Khan’s Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
“PTI unleashed its goons along with Gilgit-Baltistan police to attack and challenge the writ of the police,” Aurangzeb told a news conference in capital Islamabad.
She claimed at least 65 policemen were injured in the clashes with Khan’s supporters outside his Zaman Park residence.
It cannot go on that the police goes to execute a court’s order, whereas the court continues to grant relief to Khan, she added.
As Pakistan’s security forces deployed outside former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s residence started to pull back, there was a celebratory roar among the members and supporters of his Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Videos posted by the PTI on social media showed people hugging each other and raising slogans in favour of Khan at Lahore’s Zaman Park area.
“A moment of joy for the workers who had been fighting for 21 hours to send back the police force from Imran Khan’s residence for a third time,” a tweet posted by the PTI in Urdu language said.
