LAHORE: Punjab police have charged Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chair­man Imran Khan and all other nominated accused with ‘criminal conspiracy’ in all May 9 cases registered in the province, including arson attacks on the residence of the Lahore corps commander.

Official sources said 50 cases had been registered under the anti-terrorism and other laws. Of them, 14 cases each were registered in various police stations of Lahore and Rawalpindi, while nine were lodged in Sargodha, seven in Sheikhupura, five in Faisalabad and one in Gujranwala.

They said the Punjab police recently added offences “under sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty) and 146 (rioting)” of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) into the FIRs.

Talking to the media here on Wednesday, Lahore SSP (investigation) Dr Anoosh Masood Chaudhry said that the police have also added some offences/sections, including 34 and 120b of the PPC, to the May 9 cases.

New sections added to FIRs lodged against party leaders, activists; police say evidence proves PTI chief incited attacks on sensitive installations

Section 34 reads: “Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention. When a criminal act is done by several persons, in furtherance of the common intention of all, each such person is liable for that act in the same manner as if it were done by him alone.”

Section 120b states: “Whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death, imprisonment for life or rigorous imprisonment for a term of two years or upwards, shall, where no express provision is made in this Code for the punishment of such a conspiracy, be punished in the same manner as if he had abetted such offence.”

Responding to a question about the charges of criminal conspiracy added to the cases lodged against the PTI chairman, Dr Chaudhry said additional sections, including 120b, have been added to the challans under vandalism and violence charges registered on May 9.

According to the investigation by the Lahore police, the SSP said, apparently the evidence of inciting mutiny and planning vandalism on May 9 have been confirmed.

In reply to a question about the presence of the PTI chairman on the crime scene, she said that it does not matter whether he was physically present there or not as some evidence proved that he did incite the suspects to carry out violent attacks on sensitive installations of Pakistan Army.

Dr Chaudhry said the prosecution and police were waiting for final reports from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regul­atory Authority (Pemra) regarding videos and other evidence against the May 9 planners and attackers.

She said all the objections raised by the prosecution have also been removed in the wake of the challans of May 9 cases, which would be submitted to courts of law after receiving reports from FIA and Pemra.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023