Case for Imran’s military trial strengthening daily: Kh Asif

Islamabad
As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan remains embroiled in various legal cases, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that it was becoming clearer day by day that the former prime minister will face a military trial.
“Evidence against founder PTI points towards military trial,” Asif said while speaking to a private news channel on Saturday, adding that military trials had taken place before and will continue to do so in future as well.
The defence minister’s remarks come after Khan — fearing a military trial over his alleged involvement in last year’s May 9 riots which saw military installations being targeted — filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to stop his potential trial in military courts.
The plea filed under Article 199 of the Constitution came amid speculations about a military trial of the deposed premier which have been rife for some time now.
However, Khan’s plea was met with objections raised by the IHC registrar’s office saying that neither did it mentioned any specific first information report (FIR) nor any documentation or order was attached to the petition and how a petition be filed in a high court while the matter of military trials is sub judice in the Supreme Court.
The former ruling party has ruled out the possibility of the ex-PM being subjected to a military trial.
It is pertinent to know that the apex court in December 2023, in a 5:1 majority verdict suspended its October 23, 2023, order wherein it declared civilians’ trials in military courts null and void in connection with the May 9 riots.
The verdict was announced on intra-court appeals filed by the federal and provincial governments and the defence ministry against the top court’s verdict.
The December 13 order stated that military court trials would be conditioned on the Supreme Court’s final verdict on the intra-court pleas.
Speaking on the matter, the defence minister said that he lacked the access to the investigation related to the PTI founder as they were confidential.
Recalling the May 9 events, the minister stressed that the key question is as to why Khan held protests outside military installations.
“The army was targeted in cities where demonstrations took place […] this leads us [to believe] that some people were directing [rioters],” the politician said.
The directions related to protests must’ve been of the PTI founder, he added.