Imran Khan claims 'the state wanted to kill me in police custody'

Pakistan's ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday alleged that the state wanted to "torture and kill him in police custody," a day after Punjab police failed to arrest him in a corruption case.

"We had reports that they (a reference to PML-N led government and the military establishment) wanted to arrest me so that they torture me first and then kill me," Khan was quite categorical while talking to a group of senior journalists at his Zaman Park residence here on Thursday.

Khan’s residence remained a battlefield between his party workers, police and Rangers for the last two days over his 'arrest operation’ in the Toshakhana case.

The PTI workers, however, succeeded in foiling his arrest attempt and the operation has been halted till Friday on the Lahore High Court’s order.

Khan, who in November last had survived an attempt on his life in a rally in Punjab, further said the incumbent government has nothing to do with the rule of law as it wanted to eliminate him with help of its 'facilitators’ to remain in power.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief was citing the examples of the brutal murder of senior journalist Arshad Sharif, the inhumane torture of his party's senior leaders like Azam Swati and Shehbaz Gill at the hands of the intelligence agencies men in police custody.

"Similar plan was afoot in my case. They launched the police-rangers operation to arrest him so that they could torture and kill me,” he said. "My party workers also were wary of this naked fact.

That is why they put up strong resistance to thwart my arrest plan," he said. Khan also disclosed how close some Rangers and police personnel were to arresting him.

"During the police operation, some Rangers and police personnel managed to enter my house and (were) close to arrest me but God invoked a soft corner in them for me and they left without arresting me," Khan claimed.

Khan said the government and its handlers do not want elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) provinces in 90 days and if this does not happen he will launch a struggle for the restoration of the Constitution in the country.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced April 30 and May 28 respectively for polls in Punjab and KPK after their assemblies were dissolved in January.