Jubilee Post News & Views
Special Desk
Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is under scanner from the anti-terror laws of the country.
Pakistan police have charged the former prime minister, and former cricketer who led the country’s team in many series across the world, under anti-terror laws. The investigation comes after he accused the police and judiciary of detaining and torturing his close aide.
Since he was ousted from power in April, Khan has been a vocal critic of the government and the country’s army. Khan is the first prime minister in Pakistan history to be ousted in a vote of no confidence.
He got elected as PM in July 2018 promising to fight corruption and fix the economy. But country was gripped by financial crisis. By late March 2022 a series of defections had deprived him of his parliamentary majority and the opposition pounced, tabling a motion of no confidence.
Khan sought to circumvent the move by having parliament dissolved and calling a snap election, but the Supreme Court ruled this was in breach of the constitution. On 10 April the vote of no confidence took place and Imran Khan lost, his opponents having secured 174 votes in the 342-member house.
Police announced the charges after the cricketer-turned-politician accused authorities of torturing his close aide, who is himself being detained under sedition charges.
In a public speech on Saturday, Khan condemned Islamabad’s police chief and a female judge for the detention and alleged mistreatment of his party colleague.
Officials accused Khan breached country’s anti-terrorism act for allegedly making threats against the state officials.
The case comes at a time of heightened tension between Pakistan’s government and Khan.
