ISLAMABAD – Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said on Tuesday that former prime minister Imran Khan will be tried in a military court for planning and executing the May 9 riots, which broke out after his arrest by the Rangers on the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
At least eight people were killed and 290 injured in the riots. More than 1,900 PTI supporters were arrested in clashes with law enforcers across the country on May 9 when an accountability court in Islamabad handed over Imran Khan to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for investigation in the Al Qadir Trust case.
The protesters had also stormed the residence of the corps commander in Lahore — also called Jinnah House — and pulled down a gate of Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
The riots elicited a strong reaction from the government and the military and both civil and military leadership vowed to take action against the culprits. As a result, a crackdown on PTI leaders and workers is currently under way.
Talking to Dawn News on Live with Adil Shahzeb, Rana Sanaullah accused Imran Khan of personally carrying out the planning of the attacks on military installations before his arrest, adding that there was evidence to prove the claim as well.
Asked if Imran Khan would be tried in a military court, Rana Sanaullah said: “Absolutely, why shouldn’t he? The programme that he made to target the military installations and then had it executed, in my understanding it absolutely is a case of a military court.”