Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is likely to be arrested as he was booked under the anti-terrorism act, with his party PTI threatening taking over Islamabad and warning the police to not be a “part of this political war anymore”.
Khan said that he was informed by insiders that the police were ordered from above, which means that “neutrals” pressurised them to give PTI workers a thrashing. He had also railed against the chief election commissioner, the judiciary and the Pakistan police, indirectly calling them as “biased” against his party”.
The case surfaced hours after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Sunday said that the government was mulling to file a case against 69-year-old Khan over his provocative speech delivered on Saturday night in the F-9 Park of the national capital.
According to the copy of the first information report, which has been seen by PTI, the case was registered at the Margalla Police Station of Islamabad at 10pm on Saturday under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (punishment for acts of terrorism).
The FIR reads that Khan in his speech had “terrorised and threatened top police officials and a respected female additional sessions judge” with the aim to stop them from performing their functions and abstain from pursuing any action against any individual related to his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party (PTI).
It says that Khan’s speech had spread fear and uncertainty among the police, judges and the nation. In his address, Khan had threatened to file cases against top police officials, a woman magistrate, Election Commission of Pakistan and political opponents over the treatment meted out to his aide Shahbaz Gill, who was arrested last week on charges of sedition.
He had also taken exception to Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, who had approved Gill’s two-day physical remand at the request of the capital police, and said she should “prepare herself as action would be taken against her”.
