Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif Says Imran Khan May Face Military Trial
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stated that it is becoming increasingly clear that former Prime Minister Imran Khan will face a military trial. This comes as Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is dealing with numerous legal cases.
Legal Troubles for Imran Khan
Speaking to a private news channel, Asif mentioned that evidence against Imran Khan points towards a military trial. Imran Khan has filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court to stop his trial in a military court, fearing a possible military trial over his alleged involvement in the May 9 riots last year. However, the Islamabad High Court raised objections to his plea, noting that it lacked specific documentation.
Supreme Court’s Role
The Supreme Court had previously suspended an order that declared civilians’ trials in military courts null and void. The court’s decision came on appeals from the federal and provincial governments and the defence ministry. The military court trials are now conditioned on the Supreme Court’s final verdict.
Faiz Hamid’s Ambitions
Khawaja Asif also revealed that former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hamid wanted to become Pakistan’s army chief and had contacted the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for support. Faiz Hamid was arrested in August over allegations of land grabbing.
Imran Khan’s Statements
Imran Khan, currently in Adiala Jail, has warned of street protests if the government tries to undermine the judiciary’s independence. He criticized the government for destroying institutions like the police and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He also alleged that the judiciary is being weaponized against him.
Imran Khan’s statement reads, “Pakistan’s army belongs to everyone – to the whole nation – not just one political party or the army chief. They robbed the election and are now not allowing the judiciary to function independently. They have destroyed every institution including the Police, NAB, and the FIA. Now the Supreme Court is the people’s only hope.”
He also criticized the Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa for not announcing the reserved verdict in the NAB Amendments appeal and claimed that he has not spent a single day at the prison hospital, unlike other political figures who were given better facilities in prison.
Doubts Revealed
Defence Minister -: A Defence Minister is a government official in charge of a country’s military and defense matters. In this case, Khawaja Asif is the Defence Minister of Pakistan.
Imran Khan -: Imran Khan is a famous politician in Pakistan who used to be the Prime Minister. He is also known for being a former cricket player.
Military Trial -: A military trial is a special kind of court case where military officials judge someone, usually for crimes related to the military or national security.
May 9 riots -: The May 9 riots refer to violent protests that happened in Pakistan on May 9. People were very angry and caused a lot of damage.
Adiala Jail -: Adiala Jail is a big prison in Pakistan where people who have done serious crimes are kept.
Petition -: A petition is a formal request made to a court or government asking for a specific action. Imran Khan filed a petition to stop his military trial.
Islamabad High Court -: The Islamabad High Court is a big court in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. It deals with important legal cases.
ISI -: ISI stands for Inter-Services Intelligence, which is Pakistan’s top spy agency. They gather information to protect the country.
Faiz Hamid -: Faiz Hamid is a former chief of the ISI, Pakistan’s spy agency. He is mentioned because of his ambitions to become the army chief.
Judiciary’s independence -: Judiciary’s independence means that the courts and judges can make decisions without being influenced by the government or other powerful people. Imran Khan is worried that this independence might be compromised.
