ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday refused to undergo polygraph, photogrammetry and voice matching tests, despite a Lahore police team’s efforts to interrogate him regarding a dozen cases related to the May 9 riots.
A 12-member team, led by DSP Javed Asif and including officials from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA), arrived at Adiala Jail, where Mr Khan has been imprisoned for nearly a year. The team, which included investigation officers (IOs) of the cases and PFSA experts Abid Ayub and Inspector Waqas Khalid, tried to question the former premier and perform the necessary tests.
Mr Khan initially refused to answer the police’s questions, expressing distrust in the authorities and insisting on the presence of his lawyers. “I am under investigation by many agencies and will not take any tests for now. I will give the police time later regarding different tests,” he said.
However, after assurances from DSP Asif that justice would be ensured, Mr Khan agreed to answer questions for about 15 minutes but refused the requested tests.
It was the second visit by the Lahore police team. On Monday, a team led by DSP Javed and including Inspector Rana Akmal, Rana Arham, Alam Langrial, Rana Muneer and Muhammad Ali had arrived Adiala jail at 4pm and waited for about 3.5 hours to investigate Mr Khan. However, he refused to allow the team to investigate him.
An official privy to the development said the team informed Mr Khan that he was a “nominated accused person” in 12 cases related to anti-terrorism, inciting the public against the state, and other charges stemming from the May 9 violent protests.
Mr Khan was also told that he was on physical remand, which was allowed by the court, and the investigation officers wanted to interrogate him in the cases.
The police officials also questioned him about various aspects of the May 9 riots that targeted the Lahore corps commander’s residence, military installations and public properties.
Following their visit, the police team and PFSA experts briefed Lahore DIG Investigation Zeeshan Asghar on Mr Khan’s lack of cooperation. The matter will be discussed in a meeting of senior police officers to devise a strategy for a follow-up visit in consultation with the prosecution department
According to a report, this was the second time that Imran Khan has refused these tests. The Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory experts arrived at the Adiala jail to conduct polygraph, voice matching and photogrammetry tests related to the May 9 cases. However, Khan refused to undergo tests.
Sources indicate the police team completed the first phase of investigation. However, Khan refused to undergo polygraph, voice matching and photogrammetry tests, stating that he was currently under investigation by several agencies and would not undergo any such tests at this time.
Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur met with Imran, jail sources said.
Sources indicate that during the meeting, they discussed the party matters and the current political situation, particularly the Bannu incident.
Imran Khan, on Wednesday, stated that a narrative has been created with an agenda to accuse him of inciting the public to protest at the General Headquarters (GHQ) during the May 9 riots.
In a statement released on the social media platform X, he clarified that in the nearly three-decade history of PTI, there has never been an instance of violent protests. “Over the past two and a half years, the worst tactics were used against PTI to incite violence,” he added.
In November 2022, he said that there was an assassination attempt on him, and even his request for an FIR of his choice was denied. The former prime minister further revealed that his residence was attacked twice by military personnel. On one occasion, during his court appearance, there was a deliberate plan to assassinate him by deploying plainclothes individuals, he added.
On May 9, he explained that the masses were incited by the humiliating abduction of a former prime minister and the leader of Pakistan’s largest and most popular political party, which could have led to a major incident.
He added that PTI’s political training does not include elements of violence and the party believes in political, constitutional, and legal struggles.
Imran Khan said that May 9 was a false flag operation. “Those who stole the CCTV footage of May 9 are the real culprits of that day. Their intellect is such that they compare the May 9 incident to the Capitol Hill protest in the USA, where a thorough investigation and review of CCTV footage led to the punishment of only those involved, without implicating the entire Republican Party,” he added.
Raoof Hasan case
The federal government has decided to crack down on elements spreading propaganda and hatred against the state institutions and high-ranking personalities on social media.
For this purpose, the federal government has fulfilled the legal requirement for the trial of persons arrested under the PECA Act. The federal cabinet has approved courts for trials under the PECA Act in Islamabad.
According to sources, PTI information secretary Raoof Hasan and others will be tried under the Act. According to sources, approval has been given to establish courts in the light of the decision of Islamabad High Court on June 2.
According to the decision, Additional District and Sessions Judges, Civil Judges East and West were empowered to conduct the trial. There is a possibility of an increasing number of arrests under the Act and there will be a speedy trial. Judges will be nominated in consultation with the chief justices of the relevant high courts in other provinces. Approval was obtained from the federal cabinet on the summary of the Ministry of Law.
LHC issues notices on Imran’s plea against physical remand
The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the prosecution and other respondents on a petition filed by PTI founding chairman Imran Khan against his physical remand in 12 cases of May 9 riots, including attack on the corps commander’s residence.
A division bench, headed by Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, also summoned details of the cases and charges against Imran Khan, as well as the prosecutor general and the advocate general, for Wednesday (today).
Advocate Usman Riaz Gill appeared on behalf of the petitioner and argued that his client is not physically present before the antiterrorism court for the remand proceedings.
He said the physical absence of the petitioner rendered the ATC order for physical remand illegal. He argued that the LHC should declare Imran Khan’s physical remand illegal.
Justice Anwarul Haq Pannun, the other member on the bench, asked the counsel if he is requesting the suspect to be presented in the court so he could state his position before the judge.
The lawyer replied in affirmative, saying the law mandates physical presence of a suspect in the court for physical remand.
The bench adjourned the hearing for a day and issued notices to the advocate general and the prosecutor general of Punjab.
The petition argued that an ATC granted Mr Khan’s custody to police on July 15 in a hearing which he attended through WhatsApp video call from Adiala jail, Rawalpindi.
It stated that the order issued by the ATC is tantamount to misreading established principles on the law of remand and urged the court to set it aside for being unlawful. The petition stated that the remand was ‘unjustifiable’ as the sole allegation against the petitioner was of abetment and conspiracy and his participation in the investigation was not required as the FIR was wholly silent about his specific role.
It further said the prosecution didn’t arrest the petitioner for more than a year after May 9, 2023, even when the police authorities knew he was under the custody of the state at Adiala jail. The petition said the FIR contained allegations related to public protests following the former premier’s arrest, and when the said offences for which he has been charged with occurred, he was absolutely incommunicado as he was in the unlawful custody of NAB.
The petitioner requested the LHC to set aside the trial court order and declare the physical remand illegal.
Bushra Bibi’s plea
An LHC single bench comprising Justice Tariq Salem Sheikh overruled the registrar office’s objection to a petition filed by Bushra Bibi, the jailed wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, and sought details of the cases registered against her.
The judge directed the office to fix the petition for hearing on Wednesday.
In her petition, Bushra Bibi said that being a housewife, she had no involvement in political matters, but cases have been registered against her on political grounds as part of victimisation.
The petitioner expressed concern that inquiries and cases have been initiated against her, but no information is being provided to her about them.
She sought details of the initiated inquiries and FIRs and urged the court to ensure that she is not arrested in any further case or inquiry, not known to her legal team till date.
Bail extended
An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday extended the interim pre-arrest bail of National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub and former secretary general of PTI Asad Omar in Shadman police station attack case.
Mr Ayub, also PTI’s sitting secretary general, and former federal minister Asad Omar did not appear before the court and their lawyer sought a one-time exemption from personal appearance due to commitments in Islamabad.
Judge Khalid Arshad allowed the request and extended the pre-arrest bail of both leaders till Aug 2.