Imran Khan's Trial For May 9 Violence To Start In 2-3 Weeks: Pak Interior Minister

On May 9, Khan was arrested by paramilitary personnel from the Islamabad High Court premises which triggered unrest in Pakistan, leading to several deaths by the angry PTI protesters.

Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan.

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Legal proceedings against former premier Imran Khan will be initiated within 2-3 weeks, said Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah over the violence that had erupted after Khan’s arrest in a corruption case on May 9. The 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief has denied any involvement in the violence saying he was in jail when the incidents occurred. He further added that the establishment plans to keep him in jail for 10 years in a sedition case. According to news agency PTI, Sanaullah in an interview with Geo News said that Khan was “100 per cent” responsible for the violent protests.

On May 9, Khan was arrested by paramilitary personnel from the Islamabad High Court premises which triggered unrest in Pakistan, leading to several deaths and dozens of military and state installations being destroyed by the angry PTI protesters.

Sanaullah said that Khan injected poison into the youth and they are not ready to accept anything less than the death of political opponents.

“Whatever had happened in Pakistan…the hatred in Pakistani politics; the chaos in Pakistan politics; the economic deterioration in Pakistan; and the instability in the country: only one person is the architect of all this. His name is Imran Khan,” he said.

“The criminal carrying out an illegal act is arrested. Then with evidence the actual mastermind is traced,” he said.

He said that it will take two to three weeks for the investigation to complete and for the formal legal proceedings to begin. 

When questioned about any prior planning for the attacks on installations, he stated: “Yes, 100 per cent planning; 100 per cent planning” and added that it was planned to the minutest detail of “who will do what”.