Police in Pakistan stormed the home of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan in Lahore on Saturday and arrested 61 people amid tear gas shelling after someone opened fire from the roof of the building, officials said.
Senior officer Suhail Sukhera said police moved to remove encroachments and a blockade erected by Mr Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party and his defiant supporters in an upscale neighbourhood.
He said baton-wielding supporters of Mr Khan attempted to resist police by throwing stones and petrol bombs. A man on the roof of the house opened fire, but no one was hurt.
Mr Sukhera said police broke open the main door of Mr Khan’s residence and found masks, petrol-filled bottles, iron rods and batons used in attacks on police during the week.
He said that inside the sprawling residence, illegal structures were erected to shelter those who have been involved in attacks on police that have injured dozens of officers.
Witnesses said police attempted to disperse supporters of Mr Khan by firing tear gas and chasing them to several homes in the Zaman Park neighbourhood.
Mr Khan was not at home, having travelled to Islamabad to appear before a judge to face charges that he sold state gifts while in office and hid his assets. Mr Khan says he followed legal procedures in acquiring the gifts. The judge postponed that hearing until March 30.
Mr Khan had been holed up at his home in Lahore since Tuesday after failing to appear at an earlier hearing in the case. His supporters hurled stones and clashed with baton-wielding police for two days to protect the former premier from arrest.
Mr Khan is facing legal challenges, including one that prompted a failed attempt to arrest him on Tuesday.
Hours earlier at his home in Lahore, the former cricket star told Reuters he had formed a committee to lead his party if he is arrested.
He has led nationwide protests after he was removed from power last year and has had a spate of cases registered against him.
Earlier this week, police and Mr Khan's supporters clashed outside his home earlier during the arrest attempt.
Mr Khan, who was shot and wounded while campaigning in November, said in an interview the threat to his life is greater than before and asserted, without providing evidence, that his political opponents and the military want to block him from standing in elections later this year.
The military and government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Security was tight around the judicial complex where Mr Khan, 70, arrived in a motorcade surrounded by supporters.
The court has previously issued arrest warrants for Khan in the case as he had failed to appear on previous hearings despite summons.
On his assurance that he would appear on Saturday, the court granted Khan protection against arrest, but he said he feared the police and government planned to take him into custody.
Mr Khan wrote on Twitter on Saturday that he believed the Pakistan Democratic Movement coalition government “intends to arrest” him.
“It is also obvious now that the entire siege of Lahore was not about ensuring I appear before the court in a case but was intended to take me away to prison so that I am unable to lead our election campaign,” he said.
Pakistan's Information Minister said this week the government had nothing to do with the police action and the police were complying with court orders.
The case being heard on Saturday pertains to charges that Mr Khan sold luxury watches and other items given to the state during his 2018 to 2022 term as prime minister.
More from Neighbourhood Watch
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
