Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan faces intense grilling by special probe team in Attock prison

A special probe team headed to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Attock prison to interrogate Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan over the mayhem that ensued in the country on May 9. A special Joint Investigation Team (JIT) looking into the incident was granted permission to do so by an anti-terrorism court (ATC).

According to Geo News, the court has permitted authorities to question Khan in six additional cases. On Friday, five members of the JIT spoke to Khan about the addition of 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) that are noted in the First Information Report (FIR).

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman was also grilled over 120, 120-A, 120-B, 121-A, 505, 153, 153-A, 153-B and 107 of PPC for allegedly being involved in the May 9 attacks on buildings and institutions namely, Askari Tower, Shadman police station, Jinnah House, and offices of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). 

JIT's convener, who is the DIG (Investigations), Lahore also requested permission to interrogate and apprehend Khan in an FIR about the attack on Jinnah House, the corps commander’s residence. The grilling session comes as Khan serves a three-year sentence in Attock jail over the Toshakhana case.

The May 9 mayhem

The JIT is investigating the riots of May 9 that sparked across Pakistan after Khan was arrested in a £190 million settlement case. Hundreds of PTI leaders and supporters torched buildings and engaged in clashes with law enforcement. As a result, scores of miscreants were arrested. 

With attacks on military installations, Pakistan's army condemned the upheaval as "Black Day" for the country and tried protesters under the Army Act. “When the chief justice asked me about [May 9 vandalism], I told him I strongly condemn this and that I never allowed my supporters to do anything beyond peaceful protest,” Khan said at the time.