Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan could be tried in military court in connection with the countrywide violence on May 9, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Friday.
The Pakistani minister said that the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act were applicable in incidents involving military areas. He further said that these acts would be applicable against all those who entered, sent other people or abetted those who entered restricted military properties area earlier this month.
The development comes after Rana Sanaullah said thirty-three supporters of Imran Khan have been handed over to the army to face trial in military courts on charges of attacking armed forces’ installations.
Jinnah House, which was among the military properties attacked in violent protests earlier this month, contained many sensitive items, Sanaullah said in a press conference.
Jinnah House, currently used as the residence of Corps Commander Lahore and his camp office, was set ablaze on May 9 following the arrest of Imran Khan in Al-Qadir Trust case.
During the protest that went on for days, private and public properties were vandalised across Pakistan and Imran Khan supporters attacked military installations, including the Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) entrance.
Sanaullah said that “only 33 suspects have been selected for military trials” although police arrested nearly 5,000 of Khan’s supporters over the past two weeks.
He confirmed that only 19 accused have been transferred to military courts in Punjab while 14 have been transferred to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
He further said 3,944 suspects had been arrested in the two provinces and 2,588 were taken into custody from Punjab while 1,099 were arrested by KP authorities.
The interior minister added that another 5,536 arrests were made in other cases but most of them have been released on bail.
Khan himself faces more than 100 legal cases and has also been charged with terrorism for inciting people to violence. In courts, he has got bail from arrest in multiple cases, pending trial.
Comments
0 comment