Police record Imran’s statement over May 9 violence

IHC issues notices on PTI chief’s intra-court appeal against jail trial

RAWALPINDI:

A joint investigation team (JIT) of the Rawalpindi police on Thursday recorded the statement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan in the cases registered against him over the violent incidents on May 9, 2023.

Imran is currently in the Adiala Jail on judicial remand in the cipher case, which is being tried by a special court established under the Official Secrets Act (OSA). Last week, the police had tried to record Imran’s statement but he refused to talk to the police without the presence of his lawyer.

According to police sources, the JIT comprising three superintendents of police and investigation officers from three police stations, visited the Adiala Jail again and recorded Imran’s statement for over about one and a half hours in the presence of his lawyer, Hamid Khan.

Read More: PTI leaders granted bail in May 9 case

Imran is booked in multiple cases related to the violence on May 9, which erupted across the country following his arrest in a corruption case. The cases registered in Rawalpindi included attack on the gate of General Headquarters (GHQ), rioting in the office of a sensitive institution and others.

Besides there are 13 different cases related to the May 9 riots in Rawalpindi, which were being investigated separately. According to the police sources, in his statement, the PTI chairman denied the allegations mentioned in the first information reports (FIRs) of the cases.

Separately, the Islamabad High Court issued notices to the federation, law ministry and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) after admitting for hearing Imran’s intra-court appeal against the appointment of the special court judge and the cipher case trial jail inside the jail.

Read More: JIT finds Imran ‘mastermind’ of May 9 riots

A division bench, comprising Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rifat Imtiaz heard the intra-court appeal of the PTI chairman against the decision of a single judge bench last month that upheld the appointment of a special court judge and the jail trial.

During the hearing, the additional attorney general (AAG) informed the bench that the special court judge had been appointed as per the law. Justice Aurangzeb remarked that this was era of openness, open court and open hearing, stressing that justice should be seen to be done.

The AAG said that a summary for the appointment of the judge was sent by the law ministry to the cabinet which was approved. After the approval from the cabinet, the notification of the appointment of the judge was issued, he added.

PTI’s lawyer Salman Akram Raja told the court that it was a federal matter; therefore, consultation should have been done with the chief justice of Pakistan. During the jail trial, he added, the general public, the families of the accused and the media were not allowed.

Further hearing of the case will be held on November 6.