Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and hundreds of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers have been charged with “terrorism” and other offenses following this week’s protests in Islamabad.
The charges include violating protest restrictions, attacking police, abduction, and defying Section 144, which prohibits gatherings of more than four people. Authorities have arrested nearly 1,000 PTI supporters who joined the sit-in after Khan’s “final call” for protests against the government.
Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023, faces numerous criminal cases, while Bibi, who led the protest alongside PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur, was recently released from a nine-month detention. Despite government roadblocks across the country, protesters reached central Islamabad, where paramilitary forces reportedly opened fire to disperse them.
By Tuesday evening, law enforcement cleared the area in a two-hour operation, forcing Bibi and Gandapur to retreat to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PTI later suspended the sit-in, claiming at least eight supporters were killed during the crackdown.
However, government officials denied any fatalities. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, speaking at a press conference, stated that major hospitals in Islamabad received no bodies and dismissed PTI’s claims as “false propaganda.” Tarar also accused PTI of circulating fake lists of casualties online.
“The health department has issued statements from Poly Clinic and PIMS Hospital confirming no deaths. PTI is only politicizing the situation, looking for bodies that don’t exist,” Tarar said.
The controversy intensified with the arrest of journalist Matiullah Jan, known for his criticism of Pakistan’s military. Jan was investigating the alleged deaths when he was detained on charges of terrorism, drug trafficking, and assaulting police officers.
The protests underscore escalating tensions between the PTI and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), which took power in February after PTI boycotted forming a government despite winning the most National Assembly seats. The PTI has accused the military of rigging the election to undermine its mandate.
Since then, the PMLN-led coalition has faced growing resistance, with PTI staging four major protests in as many months, demanding Khan’s release and challenging the credibility of the election results. (Source: Al Jazeera)
TVN Desk
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and hundreds of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers have been charged with “terrorism” and other offenses following this week’s protests in Islamabad.
The charges include violating protest restrictions, attacking police, abduction, and defying Section 144, which prohibits gatherings of more than four people. Authorities have arrested nearly 1,000 PTI supporters who joined the sit-in after Khan’s “final call” for protests against the government.
Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023, faces numerous criminal cases, while Bibi, who led the protest alongside PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur, was recently released from a nine-month detention. Despite government roadblocks across the country, protesters reached central Islamabad, where paramilitary forces reportedly opened fire to disperse them.
By Tuesday evening, law enforcement cleared the area in a two-hour operation, forcing Bibi and Gandapur to retreat to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PTI later suspended the sit-in, claiming at least eight supporters were killed during the crackdown.
However, government officials denied any fatalities. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, speaking at a press conference, stated that major hospitals in Islamabad received no bodies and dismissed PTI’s claims as “false propaganda.” Tarar also accused PTI of circulating fake lists of casualties online.
“The health department has issued statements from Poly Clinic and PIMS Hospital confirming no deaths. PTI is only politicizing the situation, looking for bodies that don’t exist,” Tarar said.
The controversy intensified with the arrest of journalist Matiullah Jan, known for his criticism of Pakistan’s military. Jan was investigating the alleged deaths when he was detained on charges of terrorism, drug trafficking, and assaulting police officers.
The protests underscore escalating tensions between the PTI and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), which took power in February after PTI boycotted forming a government despite winning the most National Assembly seats. The PTI has accused the military of rigging the election to undermine its mandate.
Since then, the PMLN-led coalition has faced growing resistance, with PTI staging four major protests in as many months, demanding Khan’s release and challenging the credibility of the election results. (Source: Al Jazeera)