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Pakistan police charge ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan under the terrorism act

 

Terrorism act

Pakistan's police have charged the country's ex-Prime Minister, Imran Khan, under anti-terror laws because he threatened police, judiciary, and other state institutions at his Islamabad rally.

Reportedly, Khan accused the Pakistan police and judiciary of detaining and torturing his close aide. However, according to the police, Khan’s close aid was detained under sedition charges.

On Saturday, at a rally in Islamabad, Khan slammed Islamabad's police chief and a female judge for the detention and alleged mistreatment of his party colleague, Shahbaz Gill. He also threatened the police and the judiciary. While referring to them, he said, “You should also get ready as we will take action against you.” Subsequently, Pakistan police officers accused the former prime minister of breaching the country's anti-terrorism act for allegedly making threats against judiciary and state officials.

Hundreds of the former prime minister's supporters gathered outside his home in Islamabad after police officials charged him with the terrorism act. His supporters vowed to "take over" the Pakistan capital if the police officers tried to detain him.

The case comes at a time of tension between Pakistan's government and Pakistan’s former prime minister, who was ousted from power in April this year in a no-confidence vote.

In April, Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan. Khan tendered his resignation as a member of the Pakistan national assembly ahead of the election of the new prime minister.

Earlier this year, Khan tried to block a previous attempt to bring a no-confidence motion against him by dissolving parliament. However, the opposition leaders approached the Supreme Court in the country after their no-confidence motion was declared "unconstitutional" by the deputy speaker. Many opposition leaders accused him of vote-rigging in the 2018 election.

No political leader has completed a full five-year term as prime minister of the country since Pakistan’s formation in 1947. 

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