Case registered against Imran Khan under anti-terrorism act over ‘threatening speech’

Islamabad: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday booked for threatening Islamabad police officers and female magistrate under Section 7 of anti-Terrorism act (ATA) regarding his statements at the PTI rally, a day ago.

Sources privy to the matter said that the Margalla police have registered a case under the complaint of magistrate Ali Javed against the former prime minister on charges of hate speech in an attempt to disturb the peace.

According to the FIR, he threatened and terrorized state organs and tried to pressurize the judiciary and the police. During the rally, he threatened the Islamabad IG, a woman magistrate, and the DIG, the FIR added.

A day earlier, Imran Khan while addressing the rally held in favour of Dr Shahbaz Gill at F-9 Park said that his party is going to file cases against PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, IG Islamabad and female judge.

The former prime minister lauded his workers, saying that people have come out in large numbers on 24 hours notice. Regarding the matter of Dr Shahbaz Gill, the PTI Chairman said that his party will go to the Supreme Court

Comparing the current situation of the country with the era of Genghis Khan, the former prime minister said that Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Asif Ali Zardari, Fazlur Rehman and Khawaja Asif made stronger statements as compared to Shahbaz Gill.

Imran Khan claimed that Shahbaz Gill was captured and tortured to send a message and scare people that if he can be mentally broken then anyone can, adding that a private channel was shut down to throttle freedom of speech, adding that by shutting down the private channel, fear has been spread among other channels.

“If we bow our heads to the idol of fear, we will be left with the sole option of slavery,” the PTI chairman said. Imran further said that in his 26-year political career, he is seeing such an enlightened nation for the first time. The former prime minister said that the sleeping nation has woken up for the first time.

The former prime minister said, “Although we got independence from Britain, today thieves have been imposed on us through foreign conspiracy.” Imran further said that on May 25, police and rangers fired tear-gas shells during a peaceful protest.

Challenging the coalition government, Imran Khan said that whatever the government does, it will not stop the masses, because people want freedom. The former premier claimed that tactics have been used to intimidate social media activists.

Imran Khan said his party will not spare Islamabad’s IG and DIG, saying a vulnerable person was tortured. The former prime minister said they are reluctant to arrest JUI-F chief Fazl.