Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is in more trouble as the government kicked off a legal battle against him and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. The Shehbaz Sharif-led government and the newly launched Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party approached the Supreme Court and Election Commission of Pakistan for a ban on both.
Aun Chaudhry, adviser to the prime minister and central additional secretary general of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), has petitioned against the PTI. He will also approach the Election Commission in his personal capacity.
In his petition, he has demanded a ban on the activities of the PTI against the state and national institutions. Chaudhry has highlighted hate speeches, unconstitutional and violent activities of the PTI chairman, office-bearers, and workers from May 9.
The petition also refers to a letter written by defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif to Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial in March 2023 to draw his attention to Khan’s allegations on senior officers of the armed forces.
Chaudhry attached the PTI’s constitution document and the leadership’s social media posts as well as statements regarding the riots on May 9. The government has also supported the petition and will be party in case it is approved for a hearing.
Khan is already in hot waters after he was named in six cases on Thursday. These include three under the stringent Anti-Terrorism Act for the unprecedented attack on the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on May 9.
The cricketer-turned-politician had not been named in any of the 28 cases in Rawalpindi. But the decision to include his name came to light from statements provided by the suspects under investigation and in consultation with legal experts, said sources quoted by Pakistani news outlets. They also said joint investigation teams were investigating all cases, including the attacks on military installations and the incident of arson at a metro station.
Dubbed as a “black day” by the powerful military, Khan’s supporters had breached the gates of the GHQ even as violence erupted across the country on May 9, following the former PM’s dramatic arrest from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in a corruption case.
Khan is facing close to 150 cases across the country since he was ousted in April last year. Supporters of his party had also attacked and damaged the Corps Commander’s House in Lahore – known initially as Jinnah House that once served as the residence of the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah – hours after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Khan.
More than 20 civil and military installations were attacked in the violence that left more than 10 persons dead. Khan was in custody when the violence occurred.
(With PTI inputs)
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