ISLAMABAD: Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against his possible military custody for the trials under way against him related to the May 9 cases.
Countrywide protests erupted on May 9 last year after the paramilitary Rangers whisked away Imran from the IHC in a corruption case. While the protests were underway, social media was flooded with footage of rioting and vandalism at various spots, including the Lahore Corps Commander’s residence and General Headquarters, the army’s head of office in Rawalpindi.
The already incarcerated former prime minister was “arrested” in these cases on July 15 — just a day after he and his wife, Bushra Bibi, had been apprehended in a new Toshakhana case, following their acquittal in the Iddat case.
Imran has previously claimed that there is a plan to try him in the military court. He had also said that arrested former intelligence chief Gen (retired) Faiz Hameed was being forced to turn approver against him to pave the way for his trial in a military court on May 9 cases.
Government spokesperson for legal affairs Barrister Aqeel Malik earlier hinted that Imran’s May 9 cases might go to the military courts. However, the Punjab government said last week there was currently no proposal under consideration to send his case to a military court.
Imran submitted a petition, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, to the IHC today under Article 199 of the Constitution, under which a high court may take up a matter when there is “no other adequate remedy is provided by law.”
The petition mentioned the Islamabad inspector general (IG) of police, Punjab chief secretary, Punjab IGs for police and prisons, Adiala Jail superintendent, Federal Investigation Agency director general, and the interior, defence, and law secretaries as respondents.
The petition said that since the Lahore High Court (LHC) quashed Imran’s physical remand in the May 9 cases, “reports have been circulating on television, print, and social media that the petitioner will be shifted to the custody of army authorities in connection with the cases regarding the events of May 9 and 10, 2023.
“Many observers and commentators have expressed the view that the army authorities will take the petitioner into custody and try him before a court martial.”
