The joint investigation team (JIT) set up by Punjab’s interim government to look into the arson attacks on Jinnah House and the Askari Corporate Tower in Lahore on May 9 has summoned Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), for questioning.
Khan is expected to appear before the JIT, led by Deputy Inspector General of Police Kamran Adil, at 4 pm on May 30 at Qila Gujjar Singh investigation headquarters.
The JIT’s line of questioning will primarily revolve around the violent riots of May 9. In addition to this, Punjab’s Home Department has formed 10 different JITs to scrutinize the attacks and the unruly protests that day, which the army has labeled a “Black Day.”
Imran Khan, the ex-prime minister who was voted out of office via a no-confidence motion last year, has been named in multiple FIRs filed at various police stations in the province.
Following the JIT’s notice, Khan has consulted with his legal advisors, but it remains unclear whether he will present himself before the probe team.
A significant development from last week saw an anti-terrorism court grant the transfer of 16 suspects, allegedly involved in the vandalization of Jinnah House, to the army for trial under military law. This development indicates a tightening grip on the culprits behind the chaos of May 9.
However, Khan has voiced his belief that certain “agency men” were responsible for the destruction and violence during the May 9 protests. In a May 15 tweet, he claimed that his party had ample evidence pointing to agency individuals causing havoc and using firearms during the protests, intending to pin the blame on PTI.
Khan has also called upon the Supreme Court to deem the alleged undeclared martial law in Punjab, Balochistan, KP, and Islamabad unconstitutional and unlawful. He has also requested the apex court to establish a Judicial Commission, comprised of Supreme Court judges, to investigate the events of May 9-10 and assign responsibility for the incidents.
