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• Says Omar Ayub-led team to negotiate with govt on prisoner release, probe into protests
• Ministry submits details of ex-PM’s ‘188 legal challenges’
• IHC reprimands police for arresting hawker
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan is facing 188 criminal cases and inquiries, according to data submitted before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday.
The report was presented by the Ministry of Interior on court order in a petition filed by Mr Khan’s sister, Noreen Niazi, who sought the details of cases against her brother.
The former prime minister is booked in 99 cases in Punjab, 76 in Islamabad and two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The report said Mr Khan is also accused in seven inquiries by the Federal Investigation Agency and three cases by the National Accountability Bureau.
In addition, the PTI founder’s appeal against his conviction in the Toshakhana case was also pending before a court.
Most of these cases, as per the report, were registered over PTI’s protests in October, November, and December.
Imran censures ‘autocracy’
Meanwhile, the former PM lamented the mounting number of cases against him.
Talking to reporters in the Adiala Jail on Friday, he said the government books him in more cases after every protest by PTI.
As per a post on his official X account, the former PM also accused the government of “undermining democratic principles and imposing an authoritarian rule”.
A 10-year dictatorship has been imposed in the country to keep one man in power after subjugating the judiciary and every other institution through the 26th Constitutional Amendment, he said.
While referring to PTI’s protest last month, Mr Khan claimed unarmed protesters were shot at, which was a “tragedy”.
He, however, didn’t specify who fired on the protesters.
Mr Khan also said the racial profiling of Pakhtuns in Islamabad would lead to ethnic strife and condemned the action.
He claimed several of his party’s supporters were still missing, and expressed serious concern over the situation, demanding the government immediately publish data of arrested citizens and record dead and injured brought to hospitals and morgues.
He reiterated that his party has two demands: a commission led by senior Supreme Court judges to probe the facts about May 9 and Nov 26 protests and the release of “innocent” political prisoners.
According to Mr Khan, a committee headed by PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan has been formed for talks on these two points.
“If these two demands are not accepted, a movement of civil disobedience, boycott and reduced remittances would be launched,” he warned.
IHC reprimands police
Separately, the IHC on Friday expressed displeasure over the arrest of a vegetable seller in connection with PTI’s protest.
The accused, Sameer Ahmed, was allegedly arrested at a checkpoint in the F-10 area and later included in the list of “unknown persons” arrested for their participation in PTI’s Nov 24 protest.
The petitioner, Mr Ahmed’s brother, told the court that was not part of any protest.
“My brother is a vegetable vendor, I ride a bike, and my father is a driver. We are innocent, and he was picked up unfairly,” said the petitioner.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir reprimanded the police for targeting innocent people. He questioned the police’s conduct and reprimanded the legal officer of Islamabad police present in the court.
Justice Tahir pressed the DSP legal, Sajid Cheema, to investigate the matter thoroughly.
“Innocent people are being arrested and turned into scapegoats,” he said, instructing the police to avoid such injustices.
The officer said he was in contact with the affected family and would examine the case.
Justice Tahir directed the Islamabad High Court Bar Association to assist the petitioner in filing a bail application. The case was subsequently disposed of with instructions for remedial action.
ATC extends remand
On the other hand, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad has extended the physical remand of 19 PTI supporters for three days.
The political workers were arrested in a case registered at the Secretariat Police Station over violence during the protest.
The suspects were produced before Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra of the ATC upon the completion of their eight-day physical remand. The prosecution sought an extension in the remand, arguing that further investigation was needed to gather evidence and ascertain the full extent of the suspects’ involvement in violence on the pretext of protest.
After reviewing the police’s request, the court approved the extension and ordered the police to produce them after the expiry of the extended remand.
Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2024
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