Former Prime Minister Imran Khan is facing fresh accusations of inciting violence, with multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) alleging he orchestrated recent protests and riots from his prison cell.
At least 13 cases have been filed in Islamabad alone, with additional charges brought in Hassanabdal.
These charges, filed against Khan, 63 other PTI leaders, and over 3,000 party workers, include sedition, terrorism, and attempted murder.
The FIRs claim that Khan, despite his incarceration, exploited what they describe as “extraordinary facilities” granted to him—allegedly circumventing standard jail procedures—to communicate with party members and visitors.
This, the FIRs allege, allowed him to continuously instigate violent actions against the state and its institutions. The complaints state that Khan directed party leaders to lead a violent march on the capital, aiming to create widespread chaos and anarchy.
The FIR filed in Sangjani police station, seen by Aaj News, was filed by a police inspector named Abdul Sattar.
The protests, which involved clashes with police, saw protesters allegedly using petrol bombs, stones, marbles, and firearms. The FIRs specifically name Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI leaders Omer Ayub and Barrister Mohammad Saif as inciting the violence through provocative speeches.
Azam Swati is accused of providing funding for the protests, while CM Gandapur is alleged to have misused public resources from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to facilitate the march on Islamabad. The protesters reportedly claimed to have received direct orders from Khan and Gandapur to reach D-Chowk, block it, and disrupt government functions.
The allegations highlight a serious escalation in the ongoing political tensions in Pakistan, with the government directly accusing Khan of masterminding violent acts from within prison. The veracity of these claims remains to be seen, as the legal proceedings unfold.
The FIRs have been filed in Secretariat, CTD, Ramna, Sangjani, Golra, Karachi Company, Tarnol, Sumbal, Noon, Industrial Area, Kohsar and Aabpara police stations in Islamabad.
