Title: Imran Khan and the Pakistani Police: A Game of Cat and Mouse

Pakistani authorities announced that police and government officials arrived at the residence of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Lahore today, Friday, to consider the possibility of conducting a search for individuals suspected of involvement in attacks that occurred this month on state and military buildings. Punjab government's information minister, Amir Mir, told Reuters that police would only begin the search after agreeing on the terms. The talks at the home of the former cricket star, who is the most popular leader in Pakistan according to polls, are the latest in the ongoing struggle between Khan and the country's powerful military, which has deepened political instability in the South Asian nation of 220 million people. Pakistan is also facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with delayed funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for months. This funding is urgently needed to prevent a balance of payments crisis. Mir stated, "We have information about approximately 40 terrorists hiding there, so I think we need about 400 police officers to search the house." The Punjab government had requested Khan on Wednesday to hand over his supporters whom they accuse of the attack. Khan denied sheltering anyone involved in the violence and stated that he would not allow authorities to search his home without a court order.