Evidence against Imran Khan points towards military trial, says Pakistan Defence Minister

While speaking to a private news channel on Saturday, Asif said, "Evidence against founder PTI points towards military trial," adding that military trials had taken place before and will continue to do so in the future also.

His remarks come after Imran Khan, fearing a possible military trial over his alleged involvement in May 9 riots last year, which saw military installations being targeted, filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court to stop his trial in a military court, according to Geo News report.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) registrar's office raised objections over Khan's plea, saying that it did not mention any specific first information report (FIR) or any documentation or order was attached to the petition and how a petition can be filed in a high court while the matter of military trials is sub judice in the apex court.

PTI has ruled out the possibility of Imran Khan being subjected to a military trial. Notably, the Supreme Court in December 2023, in a 5:1 majority verdict, suspended its October 23, 2023, order wherein it declared civilians' trials in military courts null and void in connection with the May 9 riots.

The court's decision came on intra-court appeals registered by the federal and provincial governments and the defence ministry against the apex court's verdict.

According to the December 13 order, the military court trials would be conditioned on the Supreme Court's final verdict on the intra-court pleas.

In his remarks, Khawaja Asif said that former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hamid wanted to be Pakistan's army chief, and he had contacted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in this regard, Geo News reported.

Earlier in August, Faiz Hamid was arrested by the army over allegations of land grabbing and snatching valuables from the owner of a private housing society,

Khawaja Asif said, "General (retd) Faiz wanted to become army chief, his name was in the list. He contacted the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) leadership in this regard and assured of his loyalty against support for his bid for army chief," adding that the former ISI chief also gave certain guarantees.

Pakistan's Defence Minister said that Faiz's complaints intensified after the appointment of the incumbent army chief, Geo News reported.

He said, "The general had an acquaintance with the PTI founder [and] he must be speaking about this following his arrest," noting that Faiz would try to shift the blame on someone else.

He stated, "He [Faiz] might say that even if he was part of the conspiracy then the objectives [of conspiracy] were of the PTI founder's and not his."

Asif said, "Both of them tried to take over the country after losing power. Both failed to create an uprising within the military."

Meanwhile, Imran Khan, who is currently, incarcerated in Adiala Jail, has warned to call for street protests if the government tries to sabotage the independence of the judiciary.

Khan said that Pakistan's army belongs to the whole nation and not just one political party or army chief. He stated that the government has destroyed every institution, including the police, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and termed the Supreme Court people's only hope.

Imran Khan's statement shared on X reads, "Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Statements from Adiala Jail: September 4, 2024 Pakistan's army belongs to everyone - to the whole nation - not just one political party or the army chief. They robbed the election and are now not allowing the judiciary to function independently. They have destroyed every institution including the Police, NAB (National Accountability Bureau) and the FIA (Federal Investigation Agency). Now the Supreme Court is the people's only hope."

"The Police and NAB are being weaponized against us. The Commissioner of Rawalpindi is a witness to this because he supervised the election in the Pindi Division. When the Commissioner of Rawalpindi told everyone the truth about the Chief Justice and the Election Commission, he was forcibly disappeared. Had the Chief Justice been innocent, he would surely have summoned the Commissioner of Rawalpindi to his court. I am now announcing that if they try to sabotage the independence of the judiciary, I will call for street protests," he added.

He said that Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has not announced the reserved verdict in the NAB Amendments appeal since two and a half months. He said that Justice Isa has not announced the verdict as he wants him to get convicted in the "ridiculous Al-Qadir University."

Pakistan's former PM said that he has not spent a single day at the prison hospital. He alleged that Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari were given air conditioned rooms with en-suite bathrooms when they were in prison. (ANI)