Incarcerated Imran Khan arrested in GHQ attack case as well

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has been arrested in a GHQ attack case relating to May 9 violent protests that broke out across the country last year following his brief arrest.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi has summoned the PTI founder, who is already behind bars in cipher and grafts cases, in May 9 cases on Tuesday (today).

However, the PTI founder 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.

During the hearing of the cases, RA Bazar Police Station officials sought physical remand of the PTI founder in May 9 cases, however, ATC Judge Malik Aijaz Asif turned down the request.

The ATC judge directed the police to interrogate the PTI founder in Adiala prison.

The development comes days after PTI senior leader Shah Mahood Qureshi was also arrested in the May 9 cases after the Supreme Court approved his bail in cipher case.

A local court in Rawalpindi sent Qureshi to Adiala jail on a 14-day remand in connection with May 9 cases including the one related to the attack on GHQ on December 28, 2023.

Qureshi was initially arrested in a GHQ attack reference from Adiala Jail, however later 12 other cases related to violent May 9 protests were also lodged against him.

In May last year, Khan’s alleged supporters and workers resorted to violence attacking and ransacking military installation incuding GHQ in protest against the arrest of the party chief in graft case.

Subsequently, dozens of PTI leaders and workers were arrested in connection with May 9 mayhem, while several leaders have parted ways with Khan over the riots that they believed was a result of the former premier’s confrontational politics.