RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has approved a five-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan in connection with a vandalism case registered on September 28.
The decision was announced during a hearing conducted at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where the former prime minister has been held for over a year.
Khan’s arrest in this case occurred on Wednesday, just hours after the Islamabad High Court granted him bail in the Toshakhana case, which involves allegations of illegally selling state gifts.
The vandalism case, filed at New Town Police Station, stems from a PTI protest on September 28. The demonstration reportedly escalated into clashes between party workers and law enforcement personnel. The First Information Report (FIR) accuses Khan of inciting arson and property damage, invoking Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) alongside provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
According to the FIR, five individuals — Khalil, Imran, Sadaqat, Yaseen, and Tahir — were arrested at the protest. It also alleges that a petrol bottle was recovered from suspect Tahir. The report further claims that demonstrators damaged multiple police vehicles, including one belonging to SP Rawal, and that a police officer suffered a serious eye injury from shattered glass. It also accuses the protesters of seizing government firearms and firing them into the air, spreading panic.
During today’s proceedings, Special Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah requested a 15-day remand, arguing that the PTI-led protest caused extensive damage to government property despite the enforcement of Section 144. He also alleged that Khan orchestrated the protest while in Adiala Jail.
In response, Khan’s lawyer Salman Safdar dismissed the charges as politically motivated. He questioned the feasibility of the accusations, emphasizing that his client had been in solitary confinement and had no means to organize such activities. Safdar called the case a baseless attempt to target Khan for political reasons.
