The Pakistani government is mulling whether to file treason charges against former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan over his party’s ‘Azadi March’ last month that led to large-scale violence in Islamabad.
Multiple scuffles took place between the police and PTI marchers after Imran Khan and his convoy entered Islamabad and started marching towards the D-Chowk despite the Supreme Court’s order to hold a rally at a ground between areas of Islamabad.
He later had called off his long march and sought help from the Pakistan Supreme court.
During a key cabinet meeting, top officials of Shehbaz Sharif’s government briefed the participants on Azadi March’ held on May 25.
Besides Imran Khan, the officials deliberated over filing a case under the charges of sedition against the chief ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan, and Gilgit-Baltistan, Khalid Khursheed.
“However, the committee postponed the meeting to deliberate over the matter further till June 6 to present its final recommendations before the federal cabinet,” the statement read.
Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah requested the committee to recommend to the federal cabinet that Imran Khan be charged with treason.
“PTI’s long march was a fitna and fasad March, instead of ‘Azadi March’ as it was an armed uprising on the capital. Therefore, I urged the committee to recommend filing a treason case under section 124(A) of the CrPC [Code of Criminal Procedure] against Imran Khan and chief ministers of KP and GB,” Daily Times quoted him as saying.
“With planning, around 2,500 miscreants were already sent to Islamabad and they tried to capture D-Chowk before the arrival of Imran Khan,” he said.
On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) granted PTI chief pre-arrest bail for 15 days in the 14 cases registered against him.
The decision came straight after the party’s chairman ended his ‘Azadi March’ on May 25. Imran and other leaders of his party were booked in 14 cases registered at multiple police stations across Islamabad over allegations of vandalism in the capital, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Imran Khan’s counsel Babar Awan filed the petition in the court which was heard by PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan.
The judge granted the PTI leader bail till June 25 and subsequently forwarded the orders to the additional sessions judge of Islamabad.
Calling the Azadi March a peaceful demonstration, the ousted leader called on the present government for the excessive use of force, usage of chemical shells of tear gas, baton charge, firing, shelling, rubber bullets and shotguns which “tore apart” the fundamental rights of people.