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.
Court indicts Imran Khan, his wife Bushra
In another jolt to Imran Khan ahead of general elections, Pakistan’s anti-corruption court on Tuesday indicted the jailed former prime minister and his wife in the Toshakhana graft case filed against them by the anti-corruption watchdog.
Judge Muhammad Bashir of the Islamabad-based Accountability Court conducted the hearing in the Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi where Khan has been incarcerated. The case was filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Khan and Bushra Bibi were present when the charges were read. They pleaded not guilty.
A day earlier, the court deferred the indictment because Khan’s wife failed to appear before the court.
According to the case, the 71-year-old former prime minister and his wife received 108 gifts from various heads of state, out of which they kept 58 gifts. They were also undervalued by them while paying a mandatory price to the state.
The gifts included a jewellery set given from the Saudi Crown Prince which the couple retained at a low price instead of depositing it in the Toshakhana.
Under the rules governing Toshakhana — a Persian word meaning “treasure house” — government officials can keep gifts by paying a price for them but first the gift should be deposited. In the case of the first couple, they either failed to deposit the gift or got it for a low price by allegedly using their authority.
This case is different from another Toshakhana case in which Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and later convicted on its plea for hiding the proceeds from the sale of the state gifts. Khan was disqualified by the ECP and the Islamabad High Court on December 6 rejected his pleas against disqualification.
The same accountability court also conducted the hearing in the Al-Qadir Trust case involving the alleged corruption of about Rs60 billion. The former first couple is accused in the case and the court was set to indict them but it was postponed as Bibi had not been provided with a copy of the case, which was handed over to her today on the orders of the court. Separately, the court rejected the bail petition of Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case. However, his wife already secured a pre-arrest bail in the case.
The case is about allegations that Khan failed to deposit £190 million (about Rs60 billion) given by the British government. He instead allowed a property Tycoon to use it to partially adjust the said amount against the Rs 460 billion fine imposed on him by the Supreme Court.
There are further allegations that the tycoon provided more than 56 acres of land to set up Al-Qadir University, which was established under the Al-Qadir Trust. Both Khan and Bibi are trustees.
Property developer Malik Riaz Hussain, his son Ali Riaz, two former aides of Khan including leaders Shehzad Akbar and Zulfiqar Bukhari, Bibi’s friend Farah Gogi and lawyer Zia Mustafa are also co-accused in the case.
The accountability court declared them absconders for not appearing in court and ordered the freezing of all assets and bank accounts. The court also ordered authorities to seize all vehicles registered in the name of the accused and also issued permanent arrest warrants against them.
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PAK-NAVY-ARABIAN SEA
Pak Navy says deployment of ships in Arabian Sea region not aimed at helping any country against Houthis
Karachi (PTI) Pakistan’s decision to deploy warships in the Arabian Sea to maintain its maritime security in international waters and not to help a specific country against Yemen’s Houthis militants, the Pakistan Navy has said.
A Pakistan Navy spokesperson clarified the deployment of ships was not aimed at helping any country against Yemen’s Houthis.
Yemen’s Houthi militants have claimed responsibility for the hijacking as well as attempts to hijack commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea “in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza”.
The spokesperson said the Pakistan Navy’s stance was the same as the government that it supported the Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza.
He said the ships were continuously patrolling the Arabian Sea to ensure the safety of Pakistan’s trade routes.
He said continuous aerial surveillance of commercial passages was also being carried out to ensure the safety of Pakistan and international merchant ships. The Pakistan Navy decided to deploy their ships on Sunday after the Indian Navy rescued 21 crew members from a merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea following a hijacking distress call, the latest incident of an attack on commercial ships in the region.
The move came after many vessels were rerouted from the Red Sea following drone and missile attacks carried out by Yemen’s Houthis.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea, with potential consequences for the world economy. Iran says its allies act on their own and not on orders from Tehran.