Global Courant 2023-05-17 16:43:20
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan is accused of sheltering aides and supporters wanted after attacks on the army following his arrest last week.
A Pakistani official has accused former Prime Minister Imran Khan of capturing aides and supporters wanted in attacks on the army following his arrest last week, warning he had 24 hours to hand them over.
“We have information that some 30 to 40 terrorists involved in attacking our army’s buildings and installations are hiding in Zaman Park,” Amir Mir, the information minister of the Punjab province, told reporters on Wednesday, referring to the posh neighborhood of Lahore where Khan lives.
“We are issuing an ultimatum that these terrorists must be handed over to the police or there will be action,” he said at a news conference in the city.
Mir said Khan had 24 hours to hand over the suspects and a police operation would be launched if he did not comply.
Khan’s bail extended
Meanwhile, Khan secured an extension of his bail until May 31 on Wednesday, his lawyer said.
Khan was released on bail by the Islamabad High Court last Friday following his arrest on May 9, sparking violent protests across the country that killed at least 10 people and made nearly 5,000 arrests, including some top leaders of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek -e-Insaf (PTI). ) party.
The court extended Khan’s bail, which was due to expire on Wednesday, because the prosecutor had asked for more time to present details of the case against him, Khan’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry told Reuters news agency.
The dramatic arrest of the former prime minister on corruption charges last Tuesday in a courtroom in Islamabad has added to political instability in the South Asian nation of 220 million.
Khan, who denies the allegations, was removed from power in a parliamentary vote of confidence last April.
A wave of violence engulfed the Pakistani capital and other cities following Khan’s arrest, with thousands of angry supporters storming government buildings and vehicles and attacking police and military personnel and facilities.
Authorities arrested nearly 5,000 PTI workers and supporters over the deadly protests.
On Wednesday, Mir, the information minister of the Punjab province, said those accused of attacking army installations and buildings will be tried by the military courts.
The army said the May 9 attacks on the army were “pre-planned” and ordered by Khan’s party leaders. Khan has denied the allegation and demanded an investigation.
Khan has disowned those involved in arson and is demanding an impartial investigation.
Concerns about military processes
Rights groups have previously expressed concern that military courts often conduct summary trials where only summary evidence is considered.
The trials are usually held behind closed doors, denying citizens some of their basic rights, including the use of a lawyer of their choice.
A leading international rights group and a local watchdog on Tuesday called on Pakistan not to try civilians in military courts.
Amnesty International and Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission issued separate statements, saying they were alarmed by the government’s plan to try Khan’s supporters under military rules.
Amnesty said it was “alarming to see” that authorities have stated their “intention to try civilians under military law, possibly in military courts”.
Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty’s deputy regional director for South Asia, said that trying civilians in military courts is against international law.
The Human Rights Commission said arrested civilians should be tried in civilian courts, not military courts – reserved for troops suspected of antagonizing the country’s national interests and violating military rules.
Dissanayake accused the Pakistani government of using the military law as “an intimidation tactic, designed to quell dissent by instilling fear in an institution that has never been held accountable for its excessive reach”.
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