Lahore police get green signal to arrest Imran Khan in Jinnah House attack case

• Lahore ATC also allows local police to interrogate the PTI chairman.
• Police chief seeks permission to grill and take ex-PM into custody.
• Imran Khan is currently imprisoned in Attock jail in Toshakhana case.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Wednesday allowed the local police to interrogate and arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan — who is currently serving a three-year sentence in Attock jail after being convicted in the Toshakhana reference — in a case related to the attack on Jinnah House (Corps Commander House in Lahore Cantt) during the May 9 mayhem.

The riots were triggered almost across the country after the PTI chairman’s arrest in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9 which led to the deaths of at least eight people and injured several others, prompting the authorities to arrest thousands of PTI workers.

During the protests, the miscreants attacked the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military called May 9 "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.

In an application to the ATC, inspector general of police (IGP) investigation, Lahore sought permission to interrogate and arrest the former prime minister — who was removed from the office last year in April via a no-confidence motion —  in the case related to the attack on the military installation which the court “approved”.

Imran Khan is currently confined in the Attock jail.

The ousted premier was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case on August 5. A district and sessions court in the federal capital convicted the former prime minister for corrupt practices related to the state gift depository — allegations which he denies.

The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was accused of misusing his premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than 140 million Pakistani rupees ($635,000).

Rejecting Khan's petition seeking inadmissibility of the case, Additional and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar sentenced the former prime minister to three-year imprisonment.

In his short order, ADSJ Dilawar said: “The charge against the accused has successfully been proven that [the] accused has committed [the] offence of corrupt practices by making and publishing false statements/ declaration in respect of assets acquired by way of gifts from Toshakhana and disposed of during the years 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and making and publishing a false statement and submitting false and incorrect declaration in material particular relating to Form-8 for the year 2020-2021."

"He cheated while providing information about gifts he obtained from Toshakhana which later proved to be false and inaccurate. His dishonesty has been established beyond doubt."

Convicting the PTI chairman under section 174 of The Election Act 2017, the judge sentenced him to three years of imprisonment, with a fine of Rs.100,000.

Imran's nephew handed over to military court  

It is pertinent to mention here that Hassaan Niazi, Khan's nephew and his focal person on legal affairs, was handed over to a military court for trial, a police report submitted to the Lahore High Court (LHC) on August 18 stated.

Hassaan, as per the report, will be investigated and tried by the military following his nomination as the prime suspect in the case pertaining to the Jinnah House attack in Lahore.

The police, the report added, had arrested Hassaan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He was, however, later handed over to the Quetta Police and then to the military at the commanding officer's request.

Hassaan, who is also the party chief’s focal person on legal affairs, was earlier handed over to the Quetta police on August a day after his arrest late Sunday night from Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The development was confirmed by his father Hafeezullah Khan on his social media account.

However, the case in which Hassaan was apprehended remained unknown.

The police earlier said that Hassaan was involved in May 9 riots and attack on sensitive military installations. “Niazi is wanted by the Lahore police for his involvement in the attack on Jinnah House,” it added.