The ongoing crisis in Pakistan continues to escalate as Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah announced on Tuesday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan will be tried in a military court for his involvement in the violent events of May 9.
This development comes amidst a government crackdown on Khan’s opposition party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and its supporters following the violent demonstrations that followed Khan’s arrest earlier this month in Islamabad.
In an interview with a Pakistani publication, Sanaullah accused Imran of personally orchestrating the attacks on military installations prior to his arrest, providing evidence to support the claim.
When asked about the possibility of trying Imran in a military court, Sanaullah responded, “Absolutely, why shouldn’t he? The program he devised to target military installations and his execution of it, in my opinion, undoubtedly falls under the jurisdiction of a military court.”
The interior minister further accused Imran Khan of personally planning and inciting the May 9 riots, stating, “They (PTI supporters) chanted a slogan that ‘Imran Khan is our red line,’ and the planning and preparation were done on Imran Khan’s initiative and instigation. He carried it all out. He is the architect of all this discord,” and added that there is documented evidence, including tweets and messages, to support the accusation.
When asked how Imran was able to communicate with his party leaders while in jail, Sanaullah replied, “All this planning was decided before he went [to jail], regarding ‘who will do what and where. And when he is arrested, what would be the strategy and duties? All of this was decided.”
Sanaullah’s statements come a day after Defense Minister Khawaja Asif mentioned that no decision had been made yet on Imran’s trial under the Army Act, but he did not rule out the possibility. The violent protests by Khan’s followers resulted in the destruction of public property and attacks on military installations across the country. The violence subsided only after Khan’s release ordered by Pakistan’s Supreme Court, but it led to at least 10 deaths in clashes between Khan’s supporters and the police.
During the riots, protesters stormed the residence of the corps commander in Lahore, known as Jinnah House, and breached the gate of the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. The government and military responded strongly to the riots, promising action against those involved and leading to an ongoing crackdown on the culprits.
The Punjab Police previously claimed that Imran and his close aides coordinated efforts to storm the residence of the Lahore corps commander and other buildings. Police detected over 400 calls made by the PTI chairman and other senior leaders to incite party workers to move towards the military officer’s residence and other sensitive public buildings. It was observed that all the rioters were in contact with the PTI’s top leadership based in Zaman Park.
The use of Imran’s residence for planning the attack on the corps commander’s residence was confirmed by Punjab Inspector General of Police Usman Anwar. Additionally, the government has authorized the use of military courts to try the suspects involved in the May 9 riots.
Sanaullah stated on Friday that 33 suspects, 19 in Punjab and 14 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have been handed over to the military. On Monday, a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court directed the superintendent of Adiala Jail to transfer eight suspects to the military for trial.
Despite the ongoing political turmoil, Khan proposed talks between the government and his party to resolve the crisis, but the government has not responded to the offer.
