Lahore, A Pakistani anti-terrorism court said on Thursday that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's actions were similar to those of a "terrorist" in a case related to the May 9 violence and ruled that he had delegated the task of attacking military government facilities, government properties and police officials to party leaders to pressure for his release.
The 71-year-old founder and hundreds of his party colleagues are on trial in multiple cases, including one under the Official Secrets Act in connection with the violent May 9, 2023, protests by his supporters that damaged key military installations in all of Pakistan. Unprecedented protests erupted across Pakistan on May 9 last year after Khan was arrested in an alleged corruption case.
Khan's party workers allegedly vandalized a dozen military installations, including Jinnah House (Lahore Corps Commander's House), Mianwali Air Base and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The army headquarters in Rawalpindi was also attacked by the mob for the first time. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ( ) party called the anti-terrorism court's ruling an “absurd order” and declared it would launch a protest.
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore had earlier this week dismissed Khan's pre-arrest bail in three cases related to the May 9 riots and allowed the police to continue his custody for interrogation.
In a detailed order issued here on Thursday, ATC Judge Khalid Arshad said: “An extraordinary grant of pre-arrest bail is meant for an innocent person and not for the petitioner, Imran Khan Niazi, who hatched and materialized an alleged criminal conspiracy along with the senior official. The leaders and the protesters/accused have a common goal: to wage war against the State to overthrow the government.” The order said Khan not only incited the people but also instructed the leaders to create chaos, disrupt the law and order and commit arson to pressure the military and government for his release. This was revealed by the statements of two prosecution witnesses, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
“The petitioner's pre-arrest bail is baseless and the provisional bail already granted is hereby dismissed and withdrawn,” the judge said.
The judge further observed: A peaceful protester becomes a “terrorist” when he hatches a criminal conspiracy, spreads it, and shares a common object with other defendants, who, being armed, attack and attempt to damage state property such as the Corps Commander's House. Lahore, known as Jinnah House in Lahore, targeting the government machinery...He loses his normal right to be a law-abiding citizen.”The order, citing the special prosecutor, said that a criminal conspiracy was hatched at the residence of Khan in Lahore Zaman Park on May 7 and 8 in which Khan himself informed the top leaders about his fear of arrest and the reaction of starting protests and harming the military. facilities.
Reacting to ACT's detailed order, they said: “The judgment contains no evidence that Imran Khan ordered the May 9 violence. “The judge, while dismissing Khan’s pre-arrest bail, is drawing inferences and assumptions.”
He noted in his statement that the Supreme Court of Pakistan had earlier termed Imran Khan's arrest as illegal and added: "We will challenge the verdict of the Anti-Terrorism Court."Anti-terrorism courts in other parts of the country, including Rawalpindi, Sargodha, etc., have dismissed the case accusing Imran Khan of being the main accused of instigating the May 9 violent incidents, based on the fact that no evidence has been provided to establish the allegation. period,” he said.
The party also claimed that since Khan is in prison only for the Iddat case, "which is evidently coming to a conclusion" on the likely dismissal of the whistleblower's rubbish claims, it appears that this is another politically motivated case to prolong the illegal imprisonment. of Khan.”
Meanwhile, the party's Parliamentary Committee decided that it would raise its voice for Khan and all innocent prisoners in protests or rallies, starting the movement immediately. "Parliamentary leader Ms. Zartaj Gul Wazir @zartajgulwazir chaired the discussion on the decisions taken at the Parliamentary Committee meeting," he said in a post on his official X account.
Lawyer Abuzar Salman Niazi, a member of the central committee, said in X: “Absurd order. The judge has declared that Imran Khan is not innocent. Note: The trial is still ongoing and there is no record of a conviction in this case. How can Imran Khan be found guilty before the trial ends? Where will the principle of law remain (every person is innocent until proven otherwise). (sic)"
The 71-year-old founder and hundreds of his party colleagues are on trial in multiple cases, including one under the Official Secrets Act in connection with the violent May 9, 2023, protests by his supporters that damaged key military installations in all of Pakistan. Unprecedented protests erupted across Pakistan on May 9 last year after Khan was arrested in an alleged corruption case.
Khan's party workers allegedly vandalized a dozen military installations, including Jinnah House (Lahore Corps Commander's House), Mianwali Air Base and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The army headquarters in Rawalpindi was also attacked by the mob for the first time. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ( ) party called the anti-terrorism court's ruling an “absurd order” and declared it would launch a protest.
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore had earlier this week dismissed Khan's pre-arrest bail in three cases related to the May 9 riots and allowed the police to continue his custody for interrogation.
In a detailed order issued here on Thursday, ATC Judge Khalid Arshad said: “An extraordinary grant of pre-arrest bail is meant for an innocent person and not for the petitioner, Imran Khan Niazi, who hatched and materialized an alleged criminal conspiracy along with the senior official. The leaders and the protesters/accused have a common goal: to wage war against the State to overthrow the government.” The order said Khan not only incited the people but also instructed the leaders to create chaos, disrupt the law and order and commit arson to pressure the military and government for his release. This was revealed by the statements of two prosecution witnesses, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
“The petitioner's pre-arrest bail is baseless and the provisional bail already granted is hereby dismissed and withdrawn,” the judge said.
The judge further observed: A peaceful protester becomes a “terrorist” when he hatches a criminal conspiracy, spreads it, and shares a common object with other defendants, who, being armed, attack and attempt to damage state property such as the Corps Commander's House. Lahore, known as Jinnah House in Lahore, targeting the government machinery...He loses his normal right to be a law-abiding citizen.”The order, citing the special prosecutor, said that a criminal conspiracy was hatched at the residence of Khan in Lahore Zaman Park on May 7 and 8 in which Khan himself informed the top leaders about his fear of arrest and the reaction of starting protests and harming the military. facilities.
Reacting to ACT's detailed order, they said: “The judgment contains no evidence that Imran Khan ordered the May 9 violence. “The judge, while dismissing Khan’s pre-arrest bail, is drawing inferences and assumptions.”
He noted in his statement that the Supreme Court of Pakistan had earlier termed Imran Khan's arrest as illegal and added: "We will challenge the verdict of the Anti-Terrorism Court."Anti-terrorism courts in other parts of the country, including Rawalpindi, Sargodha, etc., have dismissed the case accusing Imran Khan of being the main accused of instigating the May 9 violent incidents, based on the fact that no evidence has been provided to establish the allegation. period,” he said.
The party also claimed that since Khan is in prison only for the Iddat case, "which is evidently coming to a conclusion" on the likely dismissal of the whistleblower's rubbish claims, it appears that this is another politically motivated case to prolong the illegal imprisonment. of Khan.”
Meanwhile, the party's Parliamentary Committee decided that it would raise its voice for Khan and all innocent prisoners in protests or rallies, starting the movement immediately. "Parliamentary leader Ms. Zartaj Gul Wazir @zartajgulwazir chaired the discussion on the decisions taken at the Parliamentary Committee meeting," he said in a post on his official X account.
Lawyer Abuzar Salman Niazi, a member of the central committee, said in X: “Absurd order. The judge has declared that Imran Khan is not innocent. Note: The trial is still ongoing and there is no record of a conviction in this case. How can Imran Khan be found guilty before the trial ends? Where will the principle of law remain (every person is innocent until proven otherwise). (sic)"
