Imran Khan arrested in 12 cases related to May 9 riots

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was arrested by Lahore police on Monday in a dozen cases related to May 9 violent protests.

The 72-year-old politico will not be moved to Lahore for interrogations in the May 9 riots cases.

However, he will appear before an anti-terrorism court in Lahore via video link today (Monday).

Lahore Investigation DIG Zeeshan Asghar said that the PTI founder is the prime suspect in the 12 cases over May 9 attacks lodged at various police stations in the provincial capital.

A day earlier, an accountability court approved an eight-day remand for the former prime minister and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the new Toshakhana case.

The fresh graft case was registered against the couple shortly after their acquittal in the Iddat case, in which they were sentenced to seven years in prison and fined Rs500,000 each for fraudulent nikah.

The court also ordered the authorities to release the veteran politician and his spouse from jail, if they are not wanted in any other case.

The experts said that the government, in order to keep Mr Imran behind bars, lodged more cases against him as legally he was a free man.

The former ruling party has been facing a crackdown since May 9, 2023, when several military and civil installations were vandalised by PTI workers following the arrest of the party founder in a graft case.

The crackdown unleashed a mass exodus of leaders from Imran Khan's political party.

Several PTI bigwigs, including Asad Umer, Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari, Pervaiz Khattak, Fayazul Hassan Chohan, Aamer Mahmood Kiani, Malik Amin Aslam, Imran Ismail, Ali Zaidi, Maleeka Ali Bokhari, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, left the party condemning the May 9 incidents and accusing Imran Khan of plotting to attacks on defense properties.

Imran Khan has been in Adiala jail since August last year.