LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan appeared before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on Friday. May 9 violence He said his party had plans to organize peaceful protests in the cantonment areas.
However, he blamed the Paytm government for the attacks on military installations and said that the situation was ‘manipulated’ on May 9 to malign the PTI and use force against him, his party leaders and workers.
An official secret of the development said the PTI chairman was grilled by the GIT for 50 minutes at the DIG investigation headquarters.
The team members raised 35 questions regarding Mr. Khan’s role/involvement in handling the attacks on the Corps Commander House and other military establishments in Lahore.
He said that what irked the former prime minister the most was the question of why the timing, objectives and modus operandi were the same when PTI workers attacked military bases across the country.
In response to a question, Imran Khan reiterated his stand that “everything was done by the state machinery to malign and malign me and my party members,” official sources said.
Responding to a question about the involvement of PTI’s front-line leadership in the May 9 attack, the former prime minister claimed that the government had already planned to arrest them and it was done as per its ‘previous strategy’.
During the investigation, official sources said that the former prime minister had told the JIT members (in a warning tone) that his party (PTI) would come to power in the coming elections.
He said that Imran Khan wanted the JIT officers to remain neutral or cautious while questioning or investigating him, party leaders and workers in terrorism cases.
Officials also said that two senior PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Asad Umar were questioned separately.
Sources said the team had summoned them in connection with the cases registered in Lahore on May 9 and Imran Khan and others were released by the JIT after recording their statements.
The JIT, headed by Lahore Investigation DIG Kamran Adil, had summoned the former prime minister to appear at 4 pm on Friday.
“Imran Khan is required to appear at the DIG Investigation Office to join the JIT constituted by the Punjab government in the investigation proceedings,” read the summons notice issued by DIG (Investigation), Lahore.
Officials said Kamran Adil had gone abroad to attend a course and SSP Imran Kishwar was heading the JIT on Friday to investigate Khan, Qureshi and Umar.
Imran Khan allegedly instigated the assailants who vandalized and burnt the Corps Commander House and other installations while under arrest.
He was named in 10 cases registered at various police stations in Lahore in connection with the May 9 attack. Umar later confirmed to the media that Imran Khan had recorded his statement at the DIG investigation headquarters on Friday.
Posted on July 15, 2023 in Dawn