2 yıl önce

Pakistan's former premier Imran Khan booked for 'terrorising' police, judge

His speech was meant to terrorise top police officials and the judiciary such that they could not perform their functions and abstain from pursuing any action against any leader of his party, police record says.

Reuters Archive

Khan has also accused the government of temporarily blocking YouTube in the country in order to disrupt his speech at a rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Sunday.

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been booked for "terrorising and threatening" police officers and a female judge at a rally in Islamabad.

Following Saturday's rally, a case was registered against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman on Sunday under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The cricketer-turned-politician had said he will take action against the officials for the alleged torturing of Shahbaz Gill, his close aide and chief of staff, in police custody.

Gill faces sedition charges for remarks that allegedly aimed to incite mutiny within Pakistan’s powerful military.

Police record on Sunday said Khan's speech was meant to terrorise top police officials and the judiciary such that they could not perform their functions and abstain from pursuing any action against any leader of his party.

Khan's statements also prompted the country's media watchdog to ban television channels from broadcasting his live addresses, a decision his party says will be challenged in court.

Earlier on Sunday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the government was mulling over the ex-premier's arrest.

Pakistani police registers a criminal complaint against former prime minister Imran Khan under the country's anti-terrorism act pic.twitter.com/gWYC3Lq0yy
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) August 21, 2022

Youtube 'blocking'

Khan has staged a series of popular anti-government protests since being ousted from power in a no-confidence vote in April.

As he addressed a rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Sunday, many users in Pakistan complained of disruption in YouTube service, where the speech was being live-streamed.

NetBlocks, an organisation that tracks internet outages, confirmed the development.

“Real-time network data show the disruption in effect on some but not all mobile and fixed-line internet providers in Pakistan during the live-streamed speech. Access was restored after the speech concluded,” it said.

Khan accused the government of temporarily blocking YouTube in the country, tweeting: "Imported govt blocked YouTube midway through my speech."

He called the "temporary blocking" a “new low” and “gross violation of freedom of speech.”

A spokesperson for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, which regulates the internet in the country, did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.

SOURCE: AA