Pakistan: PTI chief Imran Khan booked for ‘riots’ during protest march

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 27 (ANI): Islamabad Police on Thursday registered a case against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan in connection with the riots that occurred during his Azadi March in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Apart from the PTI chief, multiple cases were registered against several other leaders of PTI including Asad Umar, Imran Ismail, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Ali Amin Gandapur, and Ali Nawaz Awan for violating the law and order in the city.
The police registered two separate cases at the Kohsar Police Station for rioting and arson. The first FIR was registered at the complaint of a sub-inspector (SI) named Asif Raza, while the second one was filed on behalf of SI Ghulam Sarwar, reported the Geo TV.
Police have registered cases against 150 people out of which 39 were arrested for burning the metro stations at the Jinnah Avenue of Islamabad, damaging a government vehicle at the Express Chowk, and breaking the glass windows of Pakistani media, Geo News and Jang office.
The city turned into a battleground on Wednesday as multiple scuffles took place between the police and PTI marchers after Imran Khan and his convoy entered the city and started marching towards the D-Chowk despite the Supreme Court’s order to hold a rally at a ground between H9 and G9 areas of Islamabad.
Imran Khan warned his supporters would not vacate D-Chowk until a date for fresh polls was announced by the Shehbaz Sharif government.
To control the law and order situation in the federal capital, the Pakistan government deployed troops of the Pakistan army in the Red Zone to protect important government buildings including the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Parliament House, Presidency, Prime Minister’s Office and others. The decision was taken under Article 245 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, reported the Geo TV.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who was ousted from power by a no-trust vote held a long protest march on May 25 against the present government, demanding the dissolution of the National Assembly and to conduct the next general election and invited people to join in large numbers.
Khan after departing for Islamabad from the Wali Interchange in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday afternoon, asked “all Pakistanis” to take to the streets in their respective cities and appealed to women and children to come out of their homes for “real independence”, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government rejected the demands of ousted former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan for holding re-elections in the country and said that the government will complete its tenure.
PML-N and its allies announced that the current setup will complete its tenure till August 2023 and the general elections would be held at the stipulated time next year, reported Express Tribune quoting sources. (ANI)