ISLAMABAD: On February 6, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) will indict former Premier Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshit in connection with the May 9 riots.
ATC Judge Malik Ijaz presided over the hearing of the May 9 cases filed against PTI officials inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.
Imran and Qureshi were brought before the court, and the former prime minister informed the judge that he had been unjustly arrested on May 9 from the grounds of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
“Instead of giving me justice, vindictive cases were filed against me,” Imran went on to say.
During the hearing, the police also presented challans pertaining to the May 9 cases filed against PTI leaders. The cases include the GHQ attack and vandalism against sensitive institutions.
The judge prolonged the two accused PTI leaders’ judicial remand till February 6, and approved the challans for hearing. It further ordered that copies of the cases be given to the accused at the next hearing.
On December 12, a special court set up under the Official Secrets Act re-indicted Imran and Qureshi in the cypher case.
The charge sheet stated that both accused publicly flaunted a confidential document during a rally on March 27, 2022, knowingly abusing it for personal advantage, emphasizing that the illegal activities hurt the country’s reputation, security, and diplomatic relations.
Later, on January 9, the accountability court accused the former Prime Minister and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana graft case.
The court also denied the PTI founding chairman’s bail application in the same case.
Toshakhana is a state institution that keeps gifts given by state officials, foreign ambassadors, and heads of various governments.
The heart of the accusations is that Imran and Bushra reportedly kept presents obtained during official visits to foreign nations while Imran was Prime Minister.
Instead of following the approved official protocol and depositing these gifts in the Toshakhana, the couple allegedly kept them and donated less than the specified amount to the national treasury.