As a result of ongoing legal challenges, Imran Khan will likely experience a military test, according to Pakistan‘s defense minister, Khawaja Asif. Speaking to a private news channel Geo News, Asif said,” Evidence against the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ( PTI ) points towards military trial”.
Imran Khan has been involved in numerous legal proceedings, including one involving the May 9 protests, in which military installations were attacked. Khan feared being tried in a military court and petitioned the Islamabad High Court ( IHC ) to stop the trial. However, the IHC raised concerns about the petition’s validity, citing the absence of a specific first information report ( FIR ) or supporting documentation.
Khan’s petition comes amid continuous legal disputes. In December 2023, Pakistan’s Supreme Court, in a 5: 1 lot decision, suspended an earlier determination that declared residents ‘ military studies unconstitutional. Due to this decision, which is related to the May 9 protests, the judge’s decision on intra-court pertains filed by the federal and provincial governments and the defense ministry is pending the court’s decision.
Asif also commented on former Inter-Services Intelligence ( ISI) chief Lieutenant General ( retd ) Faiz Hamid, who he claimed aspired to become Pakistan’s army chief. Asif alleged that Faiz had reached out to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ( PML-N) seeking support for his bid, offering loyalty in exchange. Faiz, now facing claims of land grabbing, was arrested by the troops in August.
” General ( retd ) Faiz wanted to become army chief, his name was on the list. He reached out to the PML-N management in this regard and assured them of his unwavering support for his campaign for military chief,” Asif said.
He added that Faiz’s emotions increased as a result of the visit of the latest army chief. Asif suggested that Faiz may now try to deflect blame onto others, adding,” He]Faiz ] might say that even if he was part of the conspiracy then the objectives ]of conspiracy ] were of the PTI founder’s and not his”.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan, who is presently detained in Adiala Jail, has warned of demonstrations if the state undermines the court’s freedom. In a information shared on social media, Khan said,” Pakistan’s military belongs to somebody – to the whole nation– not just one social group or the army chief. They robbed the vote, and they are now preventing the court from operating independently.
Khan even criticized the way Pakistan’s existing leaders were treated while they were imprisoned, claiming they were treated differently than they were. He claimed,” I have never spent a one day at the prison hospital,” contrasting his care with that of previous prime minister Nawaz Sharif and others who, in his opinion, had access to air-conditioned areas with en-suite rooms while they were incarcerated.
