Evidence against PTI founder suggests military trial: Asif; Gen. Faiz approached PML-N seeking help to become army chief; minister says former spy chief swore allegiance, gave guarantees;
With Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan embroiled in various legal cases, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said it is becoming clearer with each passing day that the former prime minister will face a military tribunal.
“The evidence against the PTI founder points to a military trial,” Asif said in an interview with a private news channel on Saturday, adding that military trials have been conducted in the past and will continue to be conducted in the future.
The defence minister’s remarks came after Khan, fearing a military trial for his alleged involvement in the May 9 riots last year that targeted military installations, filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking a stay on his trial in a military tribunal.
The petition under Article 199 of the Constitution comes amid widespread speculation for some time about a military tribunal against the deposed prime minister.
However, Khan’s petition was challenged by the IHC registrar’s office, which said the petition did not mention any specific First Information Report (FIR), nor did it annex any documents or orders to the petition, nor did it mention how the petition could be filed in the high court when the military court issue was under review in the Supreme Court.
The former ruling party denied the possibility that the former prime minister would be put on trial by military tribunal.
It should be noted that in December 2023, the Supreme Court, by a 5-1 majority, stayed its October 23, 2023 order declaring invalid the trials of civilians in military tribunals in connection with the May 9 riots.
The ruling was announced in an intra-court appeal filed by the federal government, state governments and the Ministry of Defence against the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The December 13 order stated that the trial in a military tribunal would be subject to a final Supreme Court ruling on the pleas in court.
Commenting on the matter, the Defence Minister said he would not have access to the investigation into the PTI founder as it is a confidential matter.
Recounting the events of May 9, the minister stressed that a key issue was why Khan staged a protest outside a military facility.
“The military was targeted in the cities where demonstrations took place… This leads us to believe that there were some people directing (the rioters),” the politician said.
The instructions regarding the protests must have come from the PTI founder, he added.
Gen Faiz approaches PML-N for Army Chief post
Regarding former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hamid (retd), who was arrested by the army on charges of land grabbing and extortion of valuables from private housing society owners, the politician said the former intelligence chief was upset over the loss of power like Khan.
“General Faiz (retd) wanted to become army chief and his name was on the list. He approached the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership in this regard and pledged his loyalty in exchange for their support for his candidacy for army chief,” Asif said, adding that the former ISI commander had also given certain assurances.
However, the minister continued, Faiz’s dissatisfaction intensified after the appointment of the current Army Chief.
“The general knew the PTI founder and he must have spoken to him about the matter after his arrest,” the minister said, alleging that the former intelligence chief was trying to shift the blame onto others.
“He (Faiz) may say that even if he was part of the conspiracy, the objective (of the conspiracy) was that of the PTI founder and not his,” Asif said.
“Both men tried to take over the country after losing power. Both men failed in starting uprisings within the military,” he said.
