FIR accuses PTI leaders of marching on capital to ‘force Imran’s release’
ISLAMABAD: The PTI leadership attacked Islamabad to “force” the release of their party’s chairman, Imran Khan, during the visit of the Belarusian president last month, according to a police complaint which surfaced on Thursday.
An FIR registered at the Kohsar police station over PTI’s November protest in the federal capital over the last month included the changes of terrorism and public disturbance.
The FIR included sections 7 (acts of terrorism) and 21 (protection to judges and judicial proceedings) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997; sections 395 (dacoity), 324 (attempt to murder), 35 (criminal intent), 440 (mischief), 353 (assault on public servant), 186 (obstructing public servant’s discharge of duty), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 114 (Abetting), 201 (evidence tampering), 151 (unlawful assembly), 152 (Assaulting public servant during riots), 153 (provocation), 153-A (Promoting enmity), 155 (liability for rioting), 427 (damage over Rs50), 290 (public nuisance), 291 (nuisance), 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 188 (disobedience) and 506II (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code; and Section 8 of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024,
Complaint at Kohsar police station includes terror, assault charges
According to the FIR, the president of Belarus was scheduled to visit Islamabad with his official delegation on November 24 to sign trade and other agreements. For the visit, a high-security alert was put in place in the federal capital.
Despite knowing about the foreign president’s visit, the PTI leadership “called for an attack on Islamabad” to secure the “illegal release” of Mr Khan by force.
As a result, the district administration of Islamabad enforced Section 144 of CrPC on November 18, 2024, to prevent any untoward incidents.
Besides, trader organisations in the city also filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court to maintain law and order.
The court ordered that no rallies or protests should be allowed in Islamabad without fulfilling legal requirements and ensuring the protection of citizens.
Keeping in view of the court’s order and situation, a police contingent was deployed at China Chowk on November 26 in response to the “final call” given on November 24 by the founder, Mr Khan, with “malicious intentions”.
In response to the call, separate caravans from different parts of the country under PTI’s central and provincial leadership “forcefully entered” Islamabad with a proper plan and violating the law with an intention to free the founder and the convicts and accused of May 9 violence.
The protesters also wanted to “spread anarchy and unrest” during the scheduled visit of the delegation, said the FIR.
The PTI leaders named in the FIR included Mr Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Shibli Faraz, Omer Ayub Khan, Mohammad Atif, Tanveer Aslam Raja, Abdullah Wains, Zartaj Gul Wazir, Riaz Khan, Pir Noorul Haq Qadri, Pir Musawer, Faisal Javaid, Shahram Tarkai, Haleem Adil Adil Shakih, Malik Muzaffar, Khurram Sherzaman, Rehan Rajput, Arif Alvi, Umair Niazi, Abdul Latif, Sher Afzal Murwat, Ali Nasir, Shoaib Shaheen, Asad Qasir, Zulfi Bukhari, Salman Akram Raja, Murad Saeed, Rauf Hassan, Shahryar Afridi and Sheikh Waqas Akram.
Under the instruction of her husband, Ms Bushra, in a video message, motivated the government and semi-government officers to join the protest.
The district administration, police and other law enforcement agencies asked the PTI leadership to remain in Sangjani and other safe areas.
However, they tried to reach D-Chowk and wanted to remain there till the PTI chairman’s release. In this regard, an oath was taken from all leaders and workers, the FIR alleged.
At 2:00pm about 15,000 to 18,000 protestors, including Afghans, miscreants and habitual criminals, reached China Chowk after breaking the security cordon.
All protesters were armed with batons, axes, knives, iron rods, different types of firearms, teargas and slingshots, said the FIR.
Ms Bushra and CM Gandapur ordered the protestors to attack law enforcers and reached D-Chowk.
Efforts were made to intercept them; however, the trained protestors started firing and tear gas shelling from all four sides.
Some protesters were injured by the firing of their companions. Besides, four policemen were also injured, while other personnel either took cover behind containers or lying on the road.
Around 3:00pm, the protestors marched towards Parliament House from China Chowk, while pelting stones and teargas shelling.
They also damaged state property, including safe city cameras and installations of metro bus service, the FIR alleged.
Due to the meagre manpower of police compared to the protestors, no arrest was made during the protest, the FIR claimed.
Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2024