Islamabad: Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan will be tried in a military court for the events of May 9 when violence erupted following his arrest and military installations came under attack, Dawn reported.
In an interview with the Pakistani publication, Sanaullah accused Imran of personally carrying out the planning of the attacks on military installations before his arrest on the day, adding that there was evidence to prove the claim as well.
When asked if Imran would be tried in the military court, Sanaullah said, "Absolutely, why shouldn't he? The programme that he made to target the military installations and then had it executed, in my understanding absolutely is a case of a military court."
The interior minister accused the PTI chief of personally orchestrating the May 9 riots.
"They (PTI supporters) chanted a slogan that 'Imran Khan is our red line', and the planning and preparation were done on Imran Khan's initiative and instigation.
"He carried it all out. He is the architect of all this discord," adding that there was evidence present to back the accusation as well. "[The evidence] is documented, it is in tweets and his messages," he added.
When asked how Imran was able to communicate with his party leaders even from jail, the interior minister replied, "All this [planning] was decided before he went [to jail] that 'who will do what and where. And when he is arrested, what would be the strategy and duties'. All of this was decided." Sanaullah's remarks come a day after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that there was no decision yet on Imran's trial under the Army Act, adding, however, that he could not "rule out" such a possibility, Dawn reported. At least eight people were killed, 290 were injured, and over 1,900 protesters were rounded up across Pakistan on May 9 when an accountability court in Islamabad handed over the custody of Imran to NAB in connection with the Al Qadir Trust case.
The protesters stormed the residence of the corps commander in Lahore, called Jinnah House, and tore down a gate of General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
The riots had elicited a strong reaction from the government and military with vows of taking action against the culprits, leading to an ongoing crackdown against those involved, Dawn reported.
Punjab Police had also previously claimed that Imran and his close aides allegedly coordinated efforts to storm the residence of the Lahore corps commander and other buildings.
Police had detected over 400 calls made by the PTI chairman and other senior leaders to allegedly incite party workers to move towards the military officer's residence in Lahore Cantt, and other sensitive public buildings, Dawn reported.
It was observed that all the rioters were in contact with the PTI top leadership, based in Zaman Park.
Punjab Inspector General of Police Usman Anwar confirmed the use of Imran's residence for planning the attack on the corps commander's residence.
Meanwhile, the government has okayed the use of military courts to try the suspects of the May 9 riots.
On Friday, Sanaullah said that 33 suspects, 19 in Punjab and 14 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were handed over to the military. On Monday, a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court (ATC) also directed the superintendent of the garrison city's Adiala Jail to hand over eight suspects to the military for trial. —ANI
