Lahore: The troubles of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan do not seem to be decreasing. Khan has once again suffered a major setback. An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Thursday said that the actions of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is in jail in connection with the May 9 violence, were similar to that of a “terrorist”. The court said that he assigned the task of attacking military installations, government properties and police officers to party leaders to press for his release.
Imran Khan is in jail
71-year-old founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan and hundreds of his party colleagues are being tried under several cases. These include a case under the Official Secrets Act in connection with the violent protests carried out by his supporters on May 9, 2023. Major military installations were attacked across Pakistan during violent protests that erupted after Khan’s arrest in a corruption case. Cricketer-turned-politician Khan, 71, is facing more than 200 cases and has been lodged in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since August last year.
Imran had given instructions to the leaders
According to a report in The Express Tribune newspaper, the order said that Khan not only incited the people, but also instructed the leaders to create chaos, disturb law and order and commit arson to put pressure on the army and the government for his release.
What did Imran Khan’s party say
Imran Khan’s party termed the anti-terrorism court’s decision as an “absurd order” and announced that it would launch a protest. The Lahore anti-terrorism court earlier this week rejected Khan’s pre-arrest bail in three cases related to the May 9 riots and allowed the police to keep him in continuous custody for questioning. A detailed order came in this regard on Thursday.
