Imran Khan urges Supreme Court to launch probe into May 9 violence

LAHORE: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has urged Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan to launch an investigation into May 9 violence, emerged following his arrest in Al-Qadir Trust case, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Addressing the party workers and supporters, the PTI chief urged them to come out of their homes and gather at a spot in their neighbourhood from 5:30pm to 6:30pm tomorrow (Sunday) with a placard inscribed with “Save Constitution, save country”.

The PTI chief noted that the police stopped him for leaving the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises despite the court granted bail in multiple cases. “The police wanted to arrest me under MPO [Maintenance of Public Order] outside the courtroom,” he added.

“The country’s democracy is hanging by a thin thread”, Imran Khan said, lauding the judiciary for ‘saving democracy’. He urged the people of Pakistan to stand by judiciary, saying that the ‘mafia was threatening and attacking the courts’.

He further said that ‘the mafia was attacking the judiciary’ as it was the only obstacle in their ‘corruption’.

Khan pointed out that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif had ordered attack on Supreme Court (SC) and kicked out the then Chief Justice. “In the past, Nawaz Sharif destroyed the independent judiciary for the sake of power”, he alleged.

He noted that the country’s freedom ends when independent judiciary is compromised, adding that the latter protects fundamental rights of the citizens. “The only reason Pakistan has not progressed because there is no rule of law,” he added.

Imran Khan went to say that the 145 cases filed against him are ‘bogus’, praising the higher judiciary for ‘saving him’ from being jailed in fake cases.

‘PTI a peaceful party’

During his address, the PTI chairman maintained that his supporters had always maintained peacefulness during their 27-year struggle. He said he could never forget May 25 when the state unleashed violence on PTI supporters and activists.

The former premier alleged that the policemen told them that they received orders ‘from the above’. He further said that he wanted to avert violence which is why he called off sit-in in Islamabad after May 25 state brutality.

He recalled that if they had instigated violence after his arrest, it would have occurred following the assassination attempt on him in Wazirabad last year. “Those who want to have elections would never want anarchy,” he added.

He recalled how the police launched an attack on his house in Lahore when he went to Islamabad for a court appearance. “The same day, another assassination attempt at the Islamabad Judicial Complex was foiled,” he claimed.

Terming his party ‘peaceful’, Khan reiterated that PTI is the only political party in the country where families including children attend public gatherings, contending why they would ever want anarchy in the country.

He asserted that those who provoked violence during PTI protests were not ‘their people’ and they were the one who instigated people on violence. “More than 3,500 PTI workers were imprisoned across the country and many were killed too,” he alleged.

The PTI chief once again condemned the manner in which he was arrest from the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Al-Qadir Trust Case

Defending himself, Imran Khan said that the aim to establish Al-Qadir University was to produce leadership for the country which was acquainted with Islamic teachings.

He said that the decision to establish the university was taken in November and then the groundbreaking ceremony was held in May when he was at the helm.

The former premier claimed that he did not reap any personal benefit from Al-Qadir Trust. He explained that a trustee never gets any monetary benefit.

End the slavery

The PTI chairman urged the people of Pakistan ‘not to bow to this slavery’. He announced that he would start the series of public gatherings from Muridke from Wednesday.

He also urged the people to come out of their homes and gather at a spot in their neighbourhood from 5:30pm to 6:30pm tomorrow (Sunday) with a placard inscribed with “Save Constitution, save country”.

Imran Khan’s arrest

PTI Chairman Imran Khan was arrested by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Tuesday.

The PTI chief was taken into custody by Rangers personnel, who were acting on the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) warrant, from the premises of Islamabad High Court where the former premier had gone to seek bail in multiple cases registered against him.

A day earlier, Islamabad High Court (IHC) barred authorities from arresting PTI Chairman Imran Khan in all cases, even those are undisclosed, registered across the country until Monday (May 15).

The court also granted protective bail to PTI chief in three terrorism cases registered against him in Lahore and stopped authorities from arresting him till May 17 in any case registered in Islamabad after May 9.

Justice Jahangiri also approved Imran’s protective bail in a case pertaining to the death of Zille Shah — a PTI worker who was killed during a party rally in Lahore earlier this year — for 10 days against surety bonds worth Rs50,000.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted protective bail to former prime minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case, a day after the Supreme Court ruled his arrest “unlawful”.