Imran, other PTI leaders booked for riots in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Police on Thursday registered a case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leaders including, Chairman Imran Khan, for the riots that took place in Islamabad during the “Azadi March” on Wednesday.

Apart from Imran Khan, police also registered cases against PTI leaders Asad Umar, Imran Ismail, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Ali Amin Gandapur, and Ali Nawaz Awan. The police registered two separate cases at the Kohsar Police Station for "rioting and arson".

The first FIR was registered at the complaint of a sub-inspector (SI) named Asif Raza, while the second one was filed on behalf of SI Ghulam Sarwar. The cases have been registered against 150 people out of which 39 have been arrested. They also mention the burning of the metro bus stations at Islamabad's Jinnah Avenue, damaging a government vehicle at the Express Chowk, and breaking the glass windows of Geo News and Jang Group offices.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah while speaking to Geo News said that the federal government had decided to take legal action against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan. “KP CM's participation in (Azadi March) with armed police is an attack on the federation,” said the security czar of the country.

He added that his department has contacted the law ministry for its opinion on initiating action against the KP CM. “Federal government employees deputed to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa abetted PTI’s ‘fitna’ march. It has been decided to take action against federal government police officers and deputed appointed in KP,” said Sanaullah, adding that "the officers used their posts against the law."

On Wednesday, the law and order situation in the federal capital turned chaotic after Khan and his convoy entered the city and started marching towards the D-Chowk despite the Supreme Court's order to hold a jalsa at a ground between H9 and G9 areas of Islamabad.

But as PTI protesters continued to engage in violent clashes with the police and other law enforcement agencies and continued moving towards the D-Chowk defying the court's prohibition, the government decided to summon the army to control the situation and protect the government's offices located in the Red Zone.

The army was called in to control the situation under article 245 of the Constitution. Riots were not only confined to Islamabad but also anarchy and chaos also spread in other cities of the country, including Karachi and Quetta, where protesters staged sit-ins.