PTI founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday was indicted in the case of attacking the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on May 9, 2023, while senior PTI leaders, including ex-law minister Raja Basharat, were arrested from outside Adiala Jail.
Following the arrest of the ex-premier on May 9, 2023, from the Islamabad High Court’s premises, riots erupted across the country that went on for at least 24 hours.
At least 10 people lost their lives and hundreds sustained injuries, while approximately 40 public buildings and military installations were damaged, including Lahore Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House) and Askari Tower in Lahore, General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Office in Faisalabad, FC Fort in Chakdara, Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar, Toll Plaza at Swat Motorway and the Mianwali Air Base.
In total, 62 outbreaks of violence were documented, inflicting a loss of Rs2.5 billion on the country, of which, according to the State, Rs1.98bn in losses were suffered by the army. To this day, the military says the events were a coordinated attack by the PTI leadership.
There are over 143 accused in the GHQ attack case registered at RA Bazar police station, including the PTI founder. The court has declared 23 accused, including Shahbaz Gill and Zulfi Bukhari, absconders. Ten people were convicted for their role in the riots by an Islamabad anti-terrorism court on November 23.
In Thursday’s hearing, the PTI founder was indicted along with other party figures, including ex-interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, former law minister Raja Basharat, and PTI leader Zartaj Gul Wazir.
Basharat walked out of the jail during the hearing, after which he was arrested outside. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan and PTI MNA Ahmad Chatta were also taken into custody.
The anti-terrorism court in Adiala Jail indicted 100 accused present in court on charges of sedition, terrorism, attempted murder, sabotage, arson, encirclement and criminal conspiracy.
All accused, including the PTI founder, denied the charges.
Special Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah argued that pressuring the government through violent protests “falls under the category of terrorism” and that the attack on GHQ was “carried out with the intention of inciting the Pakistani army to revolt”.
“The attack was systematically planned in the style of terrorist organizations to achieve political objectives,” Shah said, stating that the targets were chosen before May 9, 2023. “The attack on GHQ was broadcast on international media, with Indian media at the top.”
Shah then brought up a July 2023 report published by the Punjab Home Department which detailed the extent of the damage caused by the riots.
“According to the report, 102 vehicles were damaged and organized attacks were carried out on 26 buildings,” the prosecutor said, citing the report. The report estimated the total damages were worth Rs1.67bn.
“The May 9 incidents were a direct attack on the country’s internal security and state stability,” the prosecutor argued. “They (the incidents) were not only terrorism … rather, they were an attempt to wage war against the state of Pakistan.”
The hearing on the GHQ case has been adjourned until December 10.
In a post on X, the PTI issued a statement condemning the arrests, stating that the state’s approach “exposes the reality of an undeclared martial law in Pakistan”.
“Such acts reflect desperation, not strength!” the party added in its statement.
