ISLAMABAD — On Thursday, a Pakistani court formally charged former Prime Minister Imran Khan and numerous associates in connection with inciting violence against military and government facilities last year, according to officials and representatives from his political party.
During the court proceedings in the military city of Rawalpindi, Khan denied the charges when they were presented. Both Khan and the other individuals involved will face trial under stringent anti-terrorism laws, which carry hefty sentences, potentially extending to life imprisonment.
In a separate development, Omar Ayub Khan, a prominent leader from Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was also arrested on Thursday due to charges related to inciting violence in the capital a week prior.
The criminal indictments against Khan and his party members relate to significant unrest that occurred on May 9, 2023, following Khan’s arrest on corruption allegations. This unrest saw thousands of protestors assault military facilities in Rawalpindi, invade an air base in Mianwali, and set fire to a building housing the government-run Radio Pakistan in the northwest region.
Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022 but has continued to be a prominent opposition leader. Since then, he has faced over 150 legal cases, which PTI claims are politically motivated.
Authorities assert that the riots on May 9 were fueled by Khan’s allegations that his ousting was orchestrated by the United States and the Pakistani military, which has held substantial power in the country since it gained independence from Britain in 1947. The U.S. government, the Pakistani military, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who succeeded Khan after his removal, have all denied these accusations.
Recently, thousands of Khan’s supporters confronted police in Islamabad, adhering to a challenging lockdown, resulting in clashes where the police utilized tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd.
Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who was leading protests advocating for her husband’s release, fled during a police operation launched on November 26, and has not been seen in public since then. Law enforcement agencies claim she is currently in hiding in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Khan’s party holds power.
Police are actively pursuing her arrest, despite her recent release on bail related to a corruption case.
