ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday appeared before the police to record his statement in cases registered against him in 2014, officials told Dawn.

Four cases were registered against him by the Secretariat police in 2014, when he was leading an anti-government sit-in outside the Parliament House.

The cases pertain to attacks on a senior superintendent of police and other personnel, as well as on a government installation during a sit-in jointly staged by the PTI and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek.

An antiterrorism court (ATC) had in November granted bail to Mr Khan and directed him to become part of investigation into the cases.

In response, Mr Khan submitted a one-page statement to the Secretariat police through his counsel but, police said, the court refused to accept it and directed Mr Khan to appear before the police in person to become a part of the investigation.

According to officials, Mr Khan, accompanied by PTI leader Naeemul Haq, two lawyers and his guards, arrived at the police station in four vehicles and recorded his statement.

The station house officer, additional SHO and investigation officer (IO) recorded Mr Khan’s statement. The PTI chief was also questioned by a team of investigators, they said.

When contacted, IO Anis Akbar told Dawn that Mr Khan in his statement said he was chairman of the country’s biggest political party. In 2014, his party staged a protest and sit-in against the government’s involvement in corruption and rigging in elections, participated by thousands of people, the IO added quoting Mr Khan.

“The government registered cases against him in revenge,” Mr Anis quoted the PTI chief as saying.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2017