Pakistan Police Book Ex-PM Imran Khan on Charges of 'Attempted Murder, Terrorism'

Police have booked PTI leader Imran Khan on many charges, ranging from terrorism to rioting, since his ouster from power in April. Khan, nevertheless, has remained unfazed over these “harassments,” accusing the coalition government led by Shehbaz Sharif of misusing constitutional authority in targeting his party.

Islamabad police have booked former Prime Minister Imran Khan on terrorism and rioting charges following protests over his disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the Toshakhana (state gift repository) case.

The former PM has also been charged with attempted murder following a complaint by Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N.

“I attended the hearing of the Toshakhana reference against the PTI Chief in the ECP as the petitioner. The ECP ruled against Imran Khan, after which the PTI leadership attacked him with intent to kill,” Ranjha claimed in his complaint.

Local media reported that at least 1,900 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters, including senior politicians, face various charges including terrorism over protests against the ECP verdict, which has been challenged by the party in the Islamabad High Court.

The PTI asserts that the decision to disqualify a parliamentarian does not come under the domain of the election body, and should be decided in court.

The ECP has yet to release the full verdict to the public, which has led to various speculations across the country.

“What did the chief election commissioner (CEC) read on Friday if there is no judgment to release despite the passage of over 24 hours?” PTI’s Senior Vice President Chaudhry Fawad Hussain wondered, emphasizing “if your members’ signatures were not on it, then it was not a judgment.”

On Friday, the ECP disqualified Imran Khan from the National Assembly reportedly for five years for involvement in "corrupt practices." The Toshakhana case against Khan started in August after the ruling members of the parliament alleged that the former prime minister sold 52 gift items from the state gift repository at high prices in the open market. These gifts were received by Khan between 2018 and 2019 from various foreign dignitaries.