Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan was on Tuesday arrested in a case related to the attack on the Pakistan Army headquarters in Rawalpindi on May 9 last year, soon after his release warrant was issued in the cipher case.
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi had summoned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, who is already behind bars in cipher and graft cases, in May 9 cases on Tuesday. However, Khan attended the court’s proceedings via video link as he could not be produced in the court by Adiala jail authorities owing to security concerns.
Judge Ijaz Asif of the Anti-Terrorism Court Rawalpindi conducted hearings of at least 12 cases linked with the May 9 riots against Khan and others.
During the proceedings, police chief of the Royal Artillery Bazar Police Station, which is in the vicinity of the General Headquarters (GHQ), informed the court that Khan was arrested in the GHQ attack case as he was nominated in the case.
Police also requested for 71-year-old Khan’s physical remand but the judge turned down the plea and asked police to meet him at the jail for probe.
On Monday, the special court formed to hear cases under the Official Secrets Act had issued his release orders in the cipher case. Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain issued the release order of Khan, stating that the former premier’s bail had been approved and he shall be released if not wanted in any other case. Despite having the release order, Khan remains behind bars due to being arrested in the Toshakhna and 190 million pound Al-Qadir Trust scandal. On May 9, 2023, violent protests erupted after the arrest of Khan by paramilitary Rangers in Islamabad. Over 20 military installations and state buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, were damaged or torched in the violent protests that followed Khan’s arrest in a corruption case.
The party ran into trouble after the May 9 violence by its supporters. Hundreds of rioters were arrested in the days after the attack and booked on various charges.
Khan and several of his party leaders have been facing numerous cases since the ouster of the party from power in April 2022 and later in the wake of the May 9 violence.
Khan’s opponent alleged that he was behind the violence, a charge he denied.
He was ousted through a vote of no-confidence in April 2022. He was incarcerated on August 5 last year, after an Islamabad court sentenced him to three years in jail in the Toshakhana case. He was lodged in the Attock District Jail to serve his prison term.
Later, his sentence was suspended by the Islamabad High Court, but then he was arrested in the cipher case and remained in the Attock jail on judicial remand. He was later shifted to Adiala jail.
