‘No case against Imran Khan in Rawalpindi’

RAWALPINDI:

Contrary to what the counsels of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in their report, it has been revealed that no case was registered against party chief Imran Khan in Rawalpindi district.

In its report, the party had apprised the IHC that as many as 10 cases were registered against its chairman in Rawalpindi.

According to the information obtained by The Express Tribune from reliable sources, although 10 cases were registered against PTI leaders in Rawalpindi from May 2022 till March 2023 but Imran Khan was not nominated as an accused in any of these cases and nor did the Rawalpindi police issue any notices to him, asking him to join the investigation.

Sources said that after the end of PTI's power in the centre, the party leaders took out various protest movements across Punjab including Rawalpindi, in which they held several demonstrations by blocking important highways.

Resultantly several cases were registered against them for violating laws. Among these cases, the first was registered against the PTI leaders on May 25, 2022, at Waris Khan Police Station. On the same day, another FIR was registered in Newtown Police Station for violation of Section 144. The third FIR was registered in Sadiqabad Police Station under Section 144 and other provisions on May 25, 2022, while the fourth case was registered on May 26 in Taxila Police Station under the provisions of blocking major highways.

The sources said that on October 21, 2022, Gujar Khan Police Station registered case crime No. 1200 of 2022 against PTI activist Raja Yasir Mehmood, in which the accused was arrested and a challan was submitted in the court.

During the current, the first FIR against the PTI leaders was registered on January 25 in Mandira police station in which 13 PTI workers were nominated along with 170 unidentified suspects.

The sources further said that a case was registered against former deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi, during the current year in City Police Station on March 14, in which 44 unknown workers of PTI were also nominated.

On March 14, a case was registered in Waris Khan Police Station for injuring two policemen, Constable Amir and Constable Moazzam, during a demonstration on Murree Road by the PTI leaders.

In FIR No. 635, former PA deputy speaker Abbasi, former MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, former MPA Ejaz Khan Jazi, former PHA chairman Asif Mehmood, Saba Qureshi, Khalid Khan, Malik Nauman, Raja Fakhar and 25 to 30 unknown workers were nominated.

On March 15, a case was registered against only one unknown worker of PTI in Waris Khan Police Station of Rawalpindi district and the case is still under investigation.

On March 19, 2023, the 10th case was registered against the PTI leaders in Rawalpindi's Naseerabad police station for depriving the citizens of travel facilities by blocking the Motorway M-1 during the protests.

In FIR No. 1249, former federal minister Ghulam Sarwar, Ali Amin Gandapur and 200 unknown workers were nominated.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2023.