A case has been registered under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and several other key leaders of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. This is amid allegations that they were responsible for the murder of a police officer during a protest march led by PTI supporters.
The case, registered Tuesday, attracted a lot of attention because it implicated Khan and other PTI leadership in the violence that took place as part of the protest.
Policeman Martyred During PTI Rally
Punjab police report: A violent clash yesterday at the Hakla interchange between PTI protesters and law enforcement killed at least five people and paralyzed most of the major roads leading in and out of Islamabad. Constable Muhammad Mubashir Bilal, who had been posted in Islamabad on security duty, was among those killed in the clash. According to the police, Bilal died in a collision and received fatal injuries caused by the “violence of miscreants” when he was trying to maintain public order.
Case Filed Against Khan, PTI Leaders
After the incident, an FIR (First Information Report) was lodged at the Taxila police station on a complaint filed by the police. The named accused are Imran Khan, Chief Minister of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, and PTI leaders Salar Khan Kakar and Shahid Khatak. The accused have been charged under sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, particularly Section 14, and provisions under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The FIR accuses Khan and other leaders of the PTI of a premeditated conspiracy that resulted in the death of the police officer.
Imran Khan’s Ongoing Legal Troubles
This latest development added to mounting legal challenges for Imran Khan. Khan has been embroiled in multiple legal cases ever since his government was dismissed through a no-confidence motion in April 2022.
The former prime minister, who was imprisoned in August last year, had called for nationwide protests on November 24, stating that the “mandate” was “stolen” through manipulation of the political system. He condemned the arrests of the supporters of PTI and criticized the passage of the 26th amendment that he deemed had only helped a “dictatorial regime.”
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