ISLAMABAD: After the capital police interrogated former prime minister Imran Khan in eight cases registered against him in two separate sessions lasting hours, the PTI chairman is still required for questioning in at least five more cases.

On Sunday, Mr Khan, who had arrived at the G-11/4 office of the police, had asked the police to postpone questioning in the said cases, saying he was too tired and had not prepared his response to the queries posed by them, insiders said.

The cases against Mr Khan were registered at Khanna, Bhara Kahu, Tarnol, Margalla, Karachi Company, Secretariat, Ramna, Shahzad Town and Kohsar police stations under multiple charges, including terrorism.

During the interrogation on Sunday, separate teams of the Counter-Terrorism Department and the investigation wing interrogated him in the offices of DIG Operations and SSP Investigation, respectively. The CTD interrogated him in connection with three cases registered at Khanna and Bhara Kahu police stations. Out of the other 10 cases, Mr Khan told the police that he was not prepared to respond in five cases, including the Toshakhana case, registered at the Kohsar police station.

Out of 13 cases, PTI chairman is still required in five cases

During the interrogation, he was given a questionnaire containing 14 queries in connection with the cases, police officials told Dawn.

Mr Khan was questioned why did he ask his supporters to rally even though there was a ban on processions under Section 144. “Is this correct that all the processions and rallies were taken out on your call,” the investigator asked him.

“Do you know that hundreds of thousands of your party workers poured out on roads in response to your call,” the police asked Mr Khan. They added that rallies comprise all types of people due to which they do not “remain peaceful”.

The police told Mr Khan that ignorance of the law was no excuse. It also questioned why his statements were “against state institutions and important personalities”? “Is this part of a specific strategy that you spread hatred among your followers against national institutions,” the officials quoted the questions posed to the PTI chief.

Imran Khan was asked why did he choose to resort to protests instead of following the law of the land over political issues.

“It is accepted that protest is your right but you have some limitations which should never be crossed in any circumstances. Violence erupted in all the PTI’s political rallies and protests held after May 25, 2022,” the police officers said, asking Imran Khan, “Should you not abandon the protests?”

“As a result of your political protests, there was a negative impact on the country’s economy and reputation,” the officials told Imran Khan.

“Did you not always point finger at national institutions … criticised the heads of these institutions, affecting their reputation and morale,” the police questioned.

“You stayed … the most important seat of the country for four years, and then you immediately started talking against them? What went wrong in these institutions immediately after you were removed from the office that you had to speak against them?”

The investigation team asked Imran Khan, “Did you not know that Pakistanis love their defence institutions and martyrs, [and] with your constant anti-military narrative, on May 9 many of the protesters damaged martyrs’ monuments, attacked military installations, set them on fire, thereby damaged the country’s ideological base.”

The investigating officers and other members of the team also asked various questions to Mr Khan in hours-long sessions, the officials said.

During the examination, as Mr Khan attempted to leave he was told by the officers that he was required in five more cases in which interrogation was yet to start.

At this, he sat down again and asked the team of Investigation Wing to interrogate him.

Police officials further told him that he needed to sign his statement as well. In response, Mr Khan replied that he was tired and was not prepared to reply to questions in connection with five other cases.

Mr Khan also told the team that he would appear before the investigators on Monday, but he did not, the officials added.

Legal experts said that Mr Khan was charged in the 13 cases registered in the capital, but so far his role in these cases, except one registered at the police station Ramna, was not more than that of an abettor.

However, he is the main accused in the case registered at Ramna police station on charges of PPC 500, 505 and 138 over hate speech during his appearance on a TV channel.

However, a number of political and religious leaders have indulged in hate speech on TV in the past, but their actions were largely ignored, they said, mentioning that one of the ex-premiers, however, got capital punishment in connection with a case registered under Section 109.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2023