ISLAMABAD - Islamabad Police Sunday registered a criminal case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and several party workers for violence during appearance of the former premier in the Judicial Complex in Islamabad in the Toshakhana case the other day.
The defiant politician on Saturday reached the Judicial Complex to attend the hearing. However, his attendance was marked in the vehicle as he could not come out due to violent clashes between law enforcers and PTI workers, gathering to welcome their leader despite imposition of the Section 144. When the police tried to disperse them to ensure enforcement of the Section 144, the charged workers resorted to stone pelting and attacking the security officials with sticks. In reply, the police baton charged them along with firing tear gas shells. Amid the clashes, unknown persons set several police vans on fire. Ramna Police Station House Officer (SHO) Malik Rashid Ahmed registered an FIR at the Islamabad Counter Terrorism Department against Imran and other PTI leaders. The complaint invoked sections 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 380 (theft in dwelling house, etc), 395 (punishment for dacoity), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to amount of one hundred rupees), 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.It also included Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997. In the FIR, SHO Ahmed said that the PTI chief along with 17 other PTI leaders violated Section 144 — imposed in Islamabad yesterday — and blocked the road for traffic. It named PTI Secretary General Asad Umar, former deputy speaker Asad Qaiser, leaders Hammad Azhar, Ali Amin Gandapur, Ali Nawaz Awan, Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz, Hassaan Khan Niazi, Omer Ayub Khan, Amjad Khan Niazi, Khurram Nawaz, Jamshed Mughal, Aamir Kiyani, Farrukh Habib, Dr Shehzad Waseem, Umer Sultan and Imran’s Chief Security Officer retired lieutenant colonel Muhammad Asim.