'Probably my last tweet,' Pakistan's ex-Premier Khan fears arrest again

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said the police have surrounded his residence in the northeastern city of Lahore, and he might be arrested any time.

"Probably my last tweet before my next arrest. Police have surrounded my house," Khan said in a Twitter post containing his video message.

However, there was no immediate word from the government about Khan’s tweet regarding police surrounding his house.

The development came after the provincial government of northeastern Punjab province gave a 24-hour "ultimatum to the leadership" of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to surrender "30 to 40" miscreants allegedly involved in last week's violent protests against the ex-premier's arrest in a corruption case.

Punjab's Information Minister Aamir Mir, at a press conference on Wednesday, alleged that the "wanted miscreants" are hiding inside Khan's Zaman Park residence located in a high-end Lahore locality. The PTI denies the charge.

Mir warned that the security forces, this time, won't hesitate to take stern measures if the miscreants are not surrendered within the deadline.

He was referring to pitched battles between police and Khan's supporters when police tried to arrest Khan for not appearing before a court in a corruption case last month.

In his video message, Khan said all surveys showed that his party is going to win the next elections by a vast majority.

In a thinly-veiled reference to the country's military, he said that "those" who don't want him to be back into power staged the violence.

Meanwhile, Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir reiterated that all those responsible for “bringing shame to the nation on the Black Day of May 9” will be brought to justice.

According to an army statement, Munir made these remarks during a visit to the northeastern Sialkot Garrison near the Indian border on Wednesday, referring to attacks on several military installations during violent protests last week.

The government and the army have already announced that those involved in attacks on military installations will be tried under the Army Act and the Official Secrets Act.