Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Pakistan Imran Khan has been
charged with “criminal conspiracy”, which carries a maximum sentence of the
death penalty, for “masterminding” the attack on the Army installations and
inciting the people to mutiny, said a senior Punjab Police official.
Pakistan saw massive nationwide anti-government protests following
the arrest of Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, by Paramilitary
Rangers in a corruption case on May 9. Khan (70) was later released on bail.
Dozens of military installations and government buildings,
including the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, were damaged or torched
during the riots. Over 100 vehicles of police and other security agencies were
set on fire.
Khan and hundreds of PTI leaders and workers are accused of
attacking Lahore Corps Commander House and Askari Tower in the city on May 9.
Addressing a press conference, Lahore police senior investigation
officer Anoosh Masood said Khan and other PTI leaders and workers have been
charged with “criminal conspiracy” for inciting supporters to attack military
and state installations on May 9.
Police carried out a thorough investigation into the May 9 events
in Lahore and found the PTI chief “masterminding” the attacks on military
installations and inciting people to violence, she said.
“Besides section 120-B, Khan and others will face nine others
offences regarding provocation with intent to cause riot, abetting mutiny and
attempting to wage a war against Pakistan. A challan of the case has been
prepared by the police investigators and prosecutors and will be submitted to
the Anti-Terrorism Court Lahore,” Masood said.
Khan has been in Attock Jail in Punjab province since August 5,
2023. He was arrested in the Toshakhana (gifts) case and subsequently handed
down a three-year imprisonment.
He was later granted bail in the case after the higher court
suspended the verdict. However, he was re-arrested in the cipher case under the
Official Secrets Act.
Khan has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking
post-arrest bail in the cipher case.
The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document which reportedly
went missing from Khan’s possession. The PTI party chief alleges that it
contained a threat from the United States to oust him from power.
Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi have been
attending hearings in the case, while PTI leader Asad Umar’s and former
principal secretary Azam Khan’s involvement are supposed to be determined
during the course of the investigation.
PTI
