Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi face ‘terrorism’ charges after Islamabad protests

The latest charges against Pakistan’s erstwhile PM and his woman adhd to mounting governmental tensions.

Islamabad, Pakistan – The Pakistani authorities has filed a bid of charges, including 1 related to “terrorism”, against erstwhile Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife, Bushra Bibi, and hundreds of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) enactment workers aft protests held successful Islamabad this week.

Khan, Bibi and others person been accused of “terrorism”, violations of a law that restricts protests successful the capital, attacks connected police, abduction, interference successful authorities affairs and defiance of Section 144, which prohibits gatherings of much than 4 people.

Authorities person already arrested astir 1,000 workers from Khan’s PTI enactment who travelled to Islamabad connected Sunday to enactment successful the sit-in successful effect to their leader’s “final call” to protestation against the government.

Khan, the PTI’s founder, has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is facing dozens of transgression cases. Bibi was besides jailed for 9 months this twelvemonth earlier being released successful October.

The protesters, who managed to scope cardinal Islamabad contempt roadblocks acceptable up crossed the state by the government, called for Khan’s merchandise among different demands. Bibi led the protestation alongside Ali Amin Gandapur, the PTI main curate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

When protesters reached the planned tract of the sit-in connected Tuesday afternoon, paramilitary forces reportedly opened occurrence to disperse the crowd.

Later that evening, instrumentality enforcement launched a two-hour cognition that cleared the area. Both Bibi and Gandapur near for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that aforesaid night.

On Wednesday morning, the PTI issued a connection announcing the suspension of the sit-in for the “time being” and said astatine slightest 8 of its supporters had been killed by authorities.

On Thursday, however, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on with Planning Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal categorically rejected the assertion that instrumentality enforcement unit utilized immoderate unrecorded munitions oregon that immoderate PTI idiosyncratic had died.

Tarar, speaking astatine a quality league held successful Islamabad for overseas media, said infirmary authorities confirmed that they did not person immoderate bodies.

“The wellness section has issued 2 statements, 1 from Poly Clinic and different from PIMS Hospital, stating determination person been nary dormant bodies,” Tarar said, answering a query from Al Jazeera and referring to 2 of the largest nationalist hospitals successful Islamabad.

The casualty number remains successful quality with PTI leaders issuing contradictory statements, alleging deaths ranging from 10 to 200.

Hospital authorities person refused to stock details of the injured and dead, telling Al Jazeera that they were “forbidden” from sharing information, a complaint that the authorities denied. The authorities added that fake lists were circulating online.

“There was a fake database published connected societal media astir the injured and dead, but it is incorrect. PTI is conscionable trying to bash authorities connected the dormant and looking for bodies present and there,” Tarar told the media connected Thursday.

The contention deepened erstwhile writer Matiullah Jan, a vocal professional of Pakistan’s military, was arrested.

Jan had reportedly been investigating the alleged deaths during the protestation for his YouTube channel. An archetypal constabulary study against him accuses him of cause trafficking, “terrorism” and assaulting constabulary officers.

The government, led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), came to powerfulness successful February aft the PTI refused to signifier a authorities contempt its candidates winning the astir National Assembly seats (93). The enactment alleged electoral rigging by the subject to undermine its mandate.

The PMLN subsequently formed a conjugation authorities but has faced fierce absorption from the PTI, which has staged 4 large protests successful arsenic galore months, demanding Khan’s merchandise and challenging the credibility of the predetermination results.