Imran Khan booked under anti-terror act, PTI workers protest against Pakistan govt

Imran Khan has vowed to file cases against Islamabad`s inspector-general, deputy inspector general, and female magistrate for "torturing" Shahbaz Gill.

Islamabad: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has been booked under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (punishment for acts of terrorism) for threatening a judge and two top police officials at his Islamabad rally recently, said reports on Monday. His party PTI said that the Pakistan government is planning to arrest Khan.

Govt planning to arrest Imran Khan (former Pakistan PM & PTI chairman), says Shah Mahmood Qureshi (Vice Chairman, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf): Pakistan's ARY News https://t.co/dBL7cqXI5m — ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2022

The case against Khan was filed hours after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the government was mulling filing a case against the 69-year-old PTI chief over his provocative speech delivered on Saturday night in the F-9 Park of the national capital.

According to the copy of the first information report, the case was registered at the Margalla Police Station of Islamabad at 10 pm on Saturday under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (punishment for acts of terrorism).

The FIR reads that Khan in his speech had "terrorised and threatened top police officials and a respected female additional sessions judge" with the aim to stop them from performing their functions and abstain from pursuing any action against any individual related to his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party (PTI). It says that Khan's speech had spread fear and uncertainty among the police, judges and the nation.

According to The News International, Pakistan`s media regulatory authority has banned the broadcasting of live speeches of PTI chief Imran Khan for threatening an Islamabad police official and a female magistrate during an address in Islamabad.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said that Imran`s recorded speech would only be permitted to be aired after an effective delay mechanism to ensure effective monitoring and editorial control.

"...Chairman PEMRA in view of the above-mentioned background and reasons, in the exercise of delegated powers of the Authority vested in Section 27(a) of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as amended by PEMRA (Amendment) Act 2007, hereby prohibits the broadcast of live speech of Imran Khan on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect," the PEMRA said in its notification.

PEMRA imposed this ban on all satellite channels hours after he vowed to file cases against Islamabad`s inspector-general, deputy inspector general, and female magistrate for "torturing" Shahbaz Gill. Imran alleged that Gill was "caught and tortured" to send a message and frighten the people that if he could be broken mentally then anyone could, according to Geo News.

Earlier on Saturday, Khan connected the current situation in Pakistan to the chief of army staff`s appointment and termed it "unfortunate" that everything in the country was happening over one appointment. Gill was arrested by the police on August 9 after he made controversial remarks against the Pakistan army on television that were deemed as "highly hateful and seditious" by the country`s media authority.

Imran`s close aide was arrested on charges of colluding with a private TV news channel in carrying out anti-state propaganda. 

(With PTI inputs)