Imran Khan charged with criminal conspiracy in May 9 cases

Lahore: In the latest development to the probe into the May 9 riots, former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and all others nominated as suspects have been charged with "criminal conspiracy" under additional charges included to the related cases, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Investigation Anoosh Masood said on Wednesday.

She claimed that nine additional treason-related sections had been added to the challans for the cases of vandalism and violence that erupted after the ousted prime minister was arrested in the infamous £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) UK settlement case on May 9 against all the suspects, including Khan. She made these remarks during a press conference in Lahore.

The PTI chairman was discovered to have been preparing vandalism and instigating mutiny, according to the investigation's official.

All cases connected to the May 9 occurrences now fall under Section 120(B) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which deals with the penalty of criminal conspiracy.

She continued by saying that prior to the case challans being submitted to the court, all objections brought by the prosecution had been settled.

After receiving approval from an anti-terrorism court (ATC), a special Joint Investigation Team (JIT) questioning the May 9 rampage practically across the country quizzed the former premier, who was ousted by a legislative vote in April of last year.

Following his detention on May 9, Khan, who is still detained in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Attock jail, along with numerous other people, including some PTI leaders, are being accused of a variety of violent crime-related offenses.

Thousands of PTI employees and supporters were detained by the authorities as a result of the rioting, which also resulted in the deaths of at least eight individuals and the injuries of several others. For their involvement in acts of violence and assaults on military installations, hundreds of party members and senior leaders were imprisoned.

Miscreants targeted military and civilian buildings during the riots, notably Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The demonstrators were to be tried under the Army Act after May 9 was dubbed "Black Day" by the military.

According to the case diary, the police added inciting to mutiny and an attempt to start a war to other provisions on August 18 in order to investigate Khan for the subsequent violence. They then called the anti-terrorism court to request authorization to look into the PTI leader.

The court's Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar, consequently, issued an order at the request of the police.

The other offences include 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups, etc), 153-B (Inducing students, etc, take part in political activity), 146 (Rioting), 131 (Abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 121 (Waging or attempting to wage war or abetting the waging of war against Pakistan), 121-A (Conspiracy to commit offences punishable by Section 121), 120-A (Definition of criminal conspiracy), 120-B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) and 107 (Abetment of a thing).