Islamabad: Pakistani police have filed terrorism charges against former Prime Minister Imran Khan,authorities said Monday,escalating political tensions in the country as the ousted premier holds mass rallies seeking to return to office.
The terrorism charges come over a speech Khan gave in Islamabad on Saturday in which he vowed to sue police officers and a female judge and alleged that a close aide had been tortured after his arrest.
Khan himself appeared to still be free and had not immediately addressed the police charge sheet being lodged against him. Khan’s political party — Tehreek-e-Insaf,now in the opposition — published online videos showing supporters surrounding his home to potentially stop police from reaching it.
Hundreds remained there early Monday. Tehreek-e-Insaf warned that it will hold nationwide rallies if Khan is arrested.
Under Pakistan’s legal system,police file what is known as a first information report about charges against an accused person to a magistrate judge,who allows the investigation to move forward. Typically,police then arrest and question the accused.
The report against Khan includes testimony from Magistrate Judge Ali Javed,who described being at the Islamabad rally on Saturday and hearing Khan criticise the inspector-general of Pakistan’s police and another judge. Khan went on to reportedly say:“You also get ready for it,we will also take action against you. All of you must be ashamed.”
Khan could face several years in prison from the new charges,which accuse him of threatening police officers and the judge. However,he’s not been detained on other lesser charges levied against him in his recent campaigning against the government.