The PTI leader Imran Khan will be tried in a military court for the events on May 9, when unrest broke out following his detention and military institutions were attacked, according to Home Minister Rana Sanaullah’s statement on Tuesday.
More than 1,900 enraged protesters gathered with demonstrators around the nation on May 9 as an accountability court in Islamabad handed custody of Imran to Bank Negara. At least eight people were murdered and as many as 290 were injured. As a result of confrontations with law enforcement, Al Case Qadir Trust was gathered up.
Additionally, protesters broke into Jinnah House, the property of the regiment commander in Lahore, and tore down a gate at the administrative center in Rawalpindi.
The government and military responded forcefully to the turmoil, threatening to take action against the offenders and launching an ongoing crackdown on individuals responsible.
Prior to his detention that day, Sanaullah claimed during an appearance on the Live with Adil Shahzeb segment of Dawn News that Imran had personally planned the attack on the military facility. He said that there was proof to back up this assertion. Sanaullah answered when asked if Imran will go to court-martial: “Of course, why wouldn’t he?” His preparations to attack military installations and then carry them out, as far as I know, are definitely grounds for a court martial.
The PTI leader was charged with personally planning the riots on May 9. “They (PTI supporters) were chanting the phrase ‘Imran Khan is our red line’ and the planning and preparations were carried out at Imran Khan’s initiative and motivation. He is the one who started all of these conflicts, he continued, adding that the claim was backed up by proof.
“[The evidence] is on the record, it’s in his tweets and messages,” he continued. The interior minister responded when asked how Imran kept in touch with his party officials while serving time in prison: “All these [plans] were decided before he went [in prison]: ‘Who would be where? What’s going on at the office? What would be his plan and what would be his duties if he were to be arrested? Everything is set in stone.
Moreover, the home minister rejected negotiations with PTI. Following Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s statement that no decision had been made regarding Imran’s trial under the Army Act, Sanaullah made his remarks a day later but added that he could not “rule out” that possibility.
Asif remarked, “I don’t rule out the chance that he was the planner and knew everything.