Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan Niazi was arrested on Sunday for threatening a judge and two high-ranking police officers at a public meeting in Islamabad on Saturday. The chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). Niazi was the subject of a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act for ignoring judicial and law enforcement authorities.
Pakistan’s electronic media watchdog banned satellite television channels from airing live speeches by Imran Khan just hours after the ousted prime minister threatened government institutions and made provocative remarks at a rally. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) stated that Imran’s recorded speech would be allowed to air only after an effective delay mechanism was in place to ensure effective monitoring and editorial control.
In public remarks on Saturday, Khan threatened to sue senior police officers, a female magistrate, the Pakistani Election Commission, and political rivals over the treatment of his aide Shahbaz Gill, who was arrested last week on sedition-related charges. In his speech on Saturday, Imran stated that he would file charges against the inspector general and deputy inspector general of police in Islamabad, adding, ‘We won’t spare you’.
According to the FIR, Imran’s speech was intended to ‘terrorise’ senior police officers and the judiciary, preventing them from carrying out their duties and from taking action against anyone associated with the PTI if necessary. Rana Sanaullah, Pakistan’s interior minister, said on Sunday that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader’s speech continued a trend of criticizing the military and other institutions.
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