Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan to be arrested once his three-week transit bail ends: Pak Interior Minister

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Imran Khan has been charged in over two dozen cases including rioting, sedition, chaos and armed attacks at the federation, said a report.

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Islamabad: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan would be arrested by the security officials deployed outside his Bani Gala residence, the country`s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said. Imran Khan on June 2 got a three-week transit bail from Peshawar High Court (PHC) against a surety bond of Pakistani rupees 50,000, ahead of PTI`s second long march to Islamabad, according to an agency report.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that Imran Khan has been charged in over two dozen cases including rioting, sedition, chaos and armed attacks at the federation, The News International reported. The Minister reportedly said that the security officials deployed outside the Imran Khan`s Bani Gala residence would arrest him on the expiry of his protective bail granted by the court.

"How one can become a head of a political party in a democratic society who instigates people and have complete disregard of moral and democratic values, terming his opponents traitors?" Sanaullah is quoted as saying by the publication.

The Interior Minister said that they welcome Imran Khan to Islamabad and that security is being provided to him as per the law. 

Imran Khan to hold long march 

Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan has decided to postpone the second long march regarding anti-inflation and against Shehbaz Sharif`s government towards Islamabad. He also decided to participate in the upcoming by-elections in Punjab.

The decisions were taken in a meeting of the party`s core committee, chaired by party Chairman Imran Khan at his Bani Gala residence, where the meeting after reviewing the ongoing political situation in the country decided to conduct the long march after the next federal budget,i.e. after June 15, according to a Tribune report.

Notably, the Shehbaz Sharif government will present its first budget after it came into power following the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion. With only a few days left for Pakistan`s financial year to end, the economic team has started preparing the federal budget for the fiscal year 2022-23.

"The core committee has decided to take the decision regarding the anti-inflation march after June 15," PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters.

Qureshi also said that the PTI members of the National Assembly would not appear before the Speaker to verify their resignations, adding "It was also decided that there would be no talks on any option other than the new elections in the country."

"The state of the economy is worsening with each passing day," Qureshi told reporters, adding "We were talking about buying cheap oil and wheat from Russia but the current government is refusing to talk to Russia." 

Meanwhile, the Pakistani government is mulling whether to file treason charges against the former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan over his party`s `Azadi March` last month that led to large-scale violence in Islamabad.

Multiple scuffles took place between the police and PTI marchers after Imran Khan and his convoy entered Islamabad and started marching towards the D-Chowk despite the Supreme Court`s order to hold a rally at a ground between areas of Islamabad. 

Imran Khan later called off his long march and sought help from the Pakistan Supreme court. During a key cabinet meeting, top officials of Shehbaz Sharif`s government briefed the participants on Azadi March` held on May 25.

Besides Imran Khan, the officials deliberated over filing a case under the charges of sedition against the chief ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan, and Gilgit-Baltistan, Khalid Khursheed.

(With Agency Inputs)