Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, and others were charged on Tuesday in connection with the death of an Islamabad policeman during the party’s recent protest in the federal capital.
The PTI leaders face accusations of attempted murder, arson, assault on the state, and violence against police officers.
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Among those also named in the case are PTI politicians Azam Swati, Omar Ayub, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, PTI Islamabad President Aamir Mughal, Malik Hafeez Ur Rehman Tipu, and 500 unidentified individuals. The case was filed on behalf of the state at the Noon Police Station in Islamabad following the death of Constable Abdul Hameed, who was reportedly attacked by protestors during the PTI demonstration at D Chowk while on duty at Chungi Number 26 on GT Road on October 4.
According to reports, the constable was allegedly “kidnapped” and subjected to violence, later succumbing to his injuries. The FIR claims that protestors, acting under the instructions of PTI leaders including Khan and Gandapur, assaulted the policeman.
“The protesters attacked the officers with sticks, stones, and iron rods, tearing their uniforms,” read the content of the First Information Report (FIR), as reported by Geo News. The FIR also states that protesters fired at the police, used tear gas, injured officers, and set government and public property on fire. Demonstrators also chanted slogans against the government and the state.
Imran Khan, Gandapur, and several other PTI leaders were named in five cases related to the Islamabad protest. Khan and 105 others are also named in a separate case registered on October 6.
The law and order situation in Islamabad remained tense as PTI attempted to stage a protest at D-Chowk, despite Section 144 being in place, which prohibits political gatherings in Islamabad and neighboring Rawalpindi due to security concerns ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s meeting.
The opposition party launched a series of protests demanding judicial independence and the release of its founder, who has been imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail for over a year. Clashes broke out between PTI supporters and law enforcement, with each side blaming the other for inciting violence.
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Several PTI leaders, including Imran Khan’s sisters Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, were detained during the October 4 demonstration and remain in police custody. The case against Imran’s sisters was filed at Kohsar Police Station, with serious charges including 16 provisions related to terrorism.
