Pakistan: Former PM Imran Khan Charged Under Anti-Terrorism Act
Supporters rally as charismatic leader free on bail but banned from speaking live on television
[Islamabad] Police on Sunday charged former Prime Minister Imran Khan under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act for allegedly threatening two senior police officers and a judge.
Khan, who was ousted as prime minister in April, is free on pre-arrest bail, approved by the Islamabad High Court for a period of three days.
Opposition leaders warned on Monday that authorities would cross a red line if they arrested Khan.
The Margalla police station in Islamabad has registered a case under a complaint from Magistrate Ali Javed against the former prime minister on charges of hate speech in an attempt to disrupt peace and security in the federal capital.
According to the “First Information Report” filed with the police station, Khan threatened and tried to pressure a female judge and senior police officials.
“The purpose of Khan’s speech was to threaten the judiciary and the Islamabad Police to prevent them from fulfilling their legal obligations,” the text of the case states. “Khan’s speech has created anxiety, terror, and chaos among the people.”
On Saturday, Khan had vowed to file a legal case against the Islamabad Police’s inspector general and deputy inspector general, and District Court Judge Zeba Chaudhry.
In remarks at a public meeting addressed to Chaudhry, Khan said, “Despite knowing that Shahbaz Gill was tortured, why was he handed over to the police on physical remand? We will not spare you, too.”
Khan was addressing a massive demonstration in Islamabad’s Fatima Jinnah Park, also known as Capital Park or F-9 Park. The rally was staged in support of his chief of staff Dr. Shahbaz Gill, who was arrested by police on August 9 for “inciting the public against state institutions.”
On Sunday evening, when Khan was addressing a huge public gathering in Rawalpindi, the news that a warrant had been issued for his arrest spread like wildfire through social media.
Many leaders and activists from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party soon camped outside his residence in Islamabad’s Bani Gala area.
Khan’s arrest would be a red line for us and if this line is crossed, that will lead to something very bad, not good for the people and the country
Murad Saeed, a former PTI federal minister, told The Media Line, “Khan’s arrest would be a red line for us and if this line is crossed, that will lead to something very bad, not good for the people and the country.”
Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, another former federal minister and a senior PTI leader, warned in a tweet that his party “will take over Islamabad” if Khan is arrested by the government.
If imran khan is arrested by the imported govt we will take over Islamabad and my message to police is that don’t be part of this political war anymore otherwise will deal u as pdm workers not police anymore let pti and pdm leadership and workers fight and decide once and for all
— Ali Amin Khan Gandapur (@AliAminKhanPTI) August 21, 2022
Meanwhile, Islamabad Police released a statement saying, “We will continue our duties diligently. Anyone making threats or allegations will be dealt with according to law.”
Gill’s arrest came after the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued a show-cause notice to the ARY News channel for airing controversial remarks he made, which the authority defined as “highly hateful, seditious and offensive” and “tantamount to inciting the ranks and file of the armed forces toward revolt.”
On August 8, ARY News broadcasted a live talk show in which Gill advised army officers and soldiers not to follow orders of the top command if they are “against the sentiments of the masses.”
A case under treason laws has been registered against Gill at Islamabad’s Kohsar police station under the complaint of a city magistrate.
The story of the torture of Shahbaz Gill had been orchestrated to deter attention from the original matter
Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah rejected the allegations of torture.
“The story of the torture of Shahbaz Gill had been orchestrated to deter attention from the original matter,” the minister told a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday.
A case was lodged against Gill in accordance with the law for “instigating army officers and soldiers, as the state cannot tolerate such malicious conspiracies,” Sanaullah said.
Gill, a professor of business administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has US permanent residency.
Jeffrey R. Brown, dean of the university’s College of Business, expressed concern about Gill’s health and well-being, and his alleged torture.
Brown appealed to the government of Pakistan and the international community to ensure that Gill is treated in accordance with international human rights law.
On Saturday night, PEMRA imposed a ban on the live broadcast of speeches by Khan, saying he is making “baseless allegations and spreading hate speech through his provocative statements against state institutions and officers.
The former prime minister’s speeches are likely to “disturb public peace and tranquility,” the media watchdog added.
Pakistan has been dealing with political and economic chaos since Khan was removed from power in April through a parliamentary vote on a no-confidence motion.
Since leaving office, the charismatic cricket legend turned politician has once again demonstrated his popularity with the masses by holding dozens of rallies across the country.
His party swept last month’s by-elections in Punjab, the country’s most populous province.
During his speech at the rally in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh park on Sunday evening, Khan once again avowed, “Only the nation can defeat the corrupt people. I will stay on the roads until we achieve real independence.
“The youth is the future of Pakistan, and they will decide the fate of the country,” he continued.
Khan repeated the claim that he was ousted from power through a foreign conspiracy at a time when the country was witnessing significant economic growth.
“I was going to create an independent Pakistani foreign policy,” he said.
The Media Line spoke to experts about the television ban on Khan and his possible arrest.
The corridors of power in Pakistan are in a panic and this may lead to Khan’s arrest in the coming days or weeks
Dr. Javed Hayat Khan, a seasoned political analyst and author, keeps a close eye on the political situation of Pakistan and the region. He is based in Calgary, Canada.
The “ban on the former prime minister would be a step in the wrong direction. Imran Khan’s arrest will pave the way for further political instability and consequently would further deteriorate the economy,” Javed Hayat Khan told The Media Line.
“Imran Khan’s speeches through which he is directly addressing and criticizing the country’s powerful military establishment are setting new precedents in the political history of Pakistan,” he continued. “It surely created waves among the masses who are buying his narrative, and this was evident through the recent results of by-elections in Punjab and PTI’s victory in a national assembly seat election in Karachi. The corridors of power in Pakistan are in a panic and this may lead to Khan’s arrest in the coming days or weeks.”
Asked whether mass arrests of Khan and his party’s officials were in the cards, Javed Hayat Khan said, “Most probably, yes. It seems obvious unless common sense and sanity prevail.
“The chances [of arrest] are higher until November 29, when the new army chief will take charge. However, the situation may change after that depending on who the new army chief is,” Javed Hayat Khan said.
Every effort Pakistan’s government makes to weaken Imran Khan will only end up making him stronger
Michael Kugelman, the senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center in Washington, told The Media Line, “Every effort Pakistan’s government makes to weaken Imran Khan will only end up making him stronger. Its dysfunctional and repressive policies play to his strengths as a populist and enable him to channel public outrage to his advantage. The numbers in Khan’s huge crowds do not lie.
“When in the opposition, the current government leaders saw policy dysfunction and repression too. But they had no Khan-like figure to play those to their advantage. Instead, they got help from the military, resulting in his ouster but making them far more unpopular than before,” Kugelman said.
The reaction to Khan’s arrest should never be underestimated
Adeeb Ul Zaman Safvi, a Karachi-based senior defense and political analyst, told The Media Line, “Rapidly changing events in the political arena appear to be spinning out of the control of the political and military leadership. The decision-makers have ended up on a wild goose chase. None of the bans, restrictions, and efforts to control Imran’s narrative is meeting with any success.
“The country is facing political mayhem which is threatening state security. In addition, the economy is not stabilizing despite the IMF [International Monetary Fund] adopting a favorable stance and support from friendly countries,” he said.
“If Imran Khan is arrested, the results will not be good for the government; there will be a strong reaction across the country,” he continued.
“The country’s decision-makers should have an idea of which party is ruling in [the] Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir [regions], [and in] Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [two of Pakistan’s four provinces], and the reaction to Khan’s arrest should never be underestimated,” Safvi said.
