ISLAMABAD: Two separate cases were registered against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and party leader Ali Amin Gandapur in the federal capital, the police said on Friday.

One of the cases was registered at the Ramna police station against the former prime minister under section 138 (abetment of act of insubordination by soldier, sailor or airman), 500 (punishment for defamation) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

According to the FIR, in a speech from Zaman Park Lahore on March 19, 2023, aired on a private news channel, the PTI chief made several allegations against a senior officer of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and also did his character assassination.

FIR against PTI chief says purpose of his speeches is to create mutiny

He also made allegations against the senior officer along with others in his speeches on November 11 and 4, 2022, and October 29, 2022, the FIR said. In his speech on October 28, 2022, he used offensive language against the army and ISI chief and senior officer and threatened their family members.

Besides, he also provoked extremists and put the lives of the family members of the senior officer in constant threat, it said. The FIR added that the former prime minister damaged the reputation of the army with his baseless allegations.

As a result, foreign agencies took advantage of the opportunity and tried to create a rift between the armed forces and the people of Pakistan, the FIR said.

“The purpose of these speeches is to create mutiny, and in this regard he is also using social media,” the FIR said.

Mr Gandapur and another person, Asad Khan, were booked in another case registered at the Golra police station.

The case was registered under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) along with 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by Section 121), 122 (collecting arms, etc., with intention of waging war against Pakistan), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the PPC and section 16 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance.

According to the FIR, an audio was aired on a private news channel in which the two persons talk about weapons. Besides, Mr Gandapur threatens the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and says his supporters would take over Islamabad, the FIR added.

Besides, he also threatened the police in the message.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2023