Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been charged with terrorism, authorities said Monday, intensifying political tensions as he holds mass rallies to regain power.
Khan made the allegations following a Saturday speech in Islamabad in which he pledged to sue police officers and a female judge and alleged that a close aide had been tortured after his arrest.
The latest charges against Khan have not been publicly discussed by him. According to Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a top leader of Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf party, Khan has been granted a three-day "protective bail" by a court in Islamabad, which prevents the police from arresting him because of the charges.
As part of Pakistan's legal system, police submit a first information report to a magistrate judge with details about charges against an accused person. The magistrate judge then permits the investigation to proceed. A person accused of a crime is usually arrested and questioned by the police.
Pakistan's 1997 anti-terrorism law, which granted police broader powers amid sectarian violence in the country, accuses Former PM Imran Khan of threatening police officers and judges and could land him in prison for several years. The law, critics say, is outdated, helps security forces circumvent constitutional protections for defendants, and governments have also use it politically.
A Washington-based advocacy group, Freedom House, says the Pakistani judiciary takes sides in power struggles between the military, civilian governments, and opposition politicians.
Tuesday's Current Prime Minister Cabinet's meeting will likely discuss the charges against Former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In his claims, Khan did not provide evidence that the Pakistani military participated in a U.S. plot to remove him. In response to the allegation, Washington, the Pakistani military, and Sharif's government all denied it. Khan has also been holding mass rallies to pressurize the government.
According to Imran Khan, so-called "neutrals" are behind the recent crackdown on his party, which he spoke about Sunday night in Rawalpindi outside of Islamabad. Military neutrals have been described as such by him in the past.
Comments