Pakistan police file terrorism charges against ex-PM Khan

Former and current lawmakers, aides, former ministers and scores of Khan’s supporters are also accused

Charges include terrorism and obstructing, attacking and wounding police; Khan, 70, who was ousted in April, says there was a conspiracy to remove him

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An officer fires a tear gas canister as supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan clash with police in Islamabad on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:24pm, 19 Mar 2023

Police in the Pakistani capital filed charges on Sunday against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, 17 of his aides and scores of supporters, accusing them of terrorism and several other offences after the ousted premier’s followers clashed with security forces in Islamabad the previous day.

For hours on Saturday, Khan’s supporters clashed with police outside a court where the former prime minister was to appear in a corruption case. Riot police wielded batons and fired tear gas while Khan’s supporters threw fire bombs and hurled rocks at the officers.

More than 50 officers were injured and a police checkpoint, several cars and motorcycles were torched. Police said 59 of Khan’s supporters were arrested during the violence.

Khan never actually appeared inside the court to face charges that he had sold state gifts received while in office and concealed assets.

Besides Khan, the case filed on Sunday also accuses former and current lawmakers, former ministers, a former National Assembly speaker and scores of Khan’s supporters. The charges include terrorism, obstructing police officers in carrying out their tasks, attacks on police, wounding officers and threatening their lives.

The developments are the latest involving increasing violence surrounding 70-year-old Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April.

Since then, the former cricket star turned Islamist politician has claimed, without offering evidence, that his ouster was illegal and a conspiracy by the government of his successor, Shahbaz Sharif, and Washington. Both Sharif and the United States have denied the allegations.