Pakistan: Ruling coalition sends mixed signals on arresting Imran Khan
Aug 23, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], August 23 : Lambasting Imran Khan for threatening the judiciary and a top cop of Pakistan, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb said that government is least interested in wasting time putting the PTI Chief behind the bars but the law will take its course hinting at mixed signals on Imran Khan's arrest.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said that The coalition government doesn't waste time in the meetings by discussing if PTI chief Imran Khan should be arrested or not in connection with threatening a sitting judge and the top cop of the capital, reported the Express Tribune citing Marriyum Aurangzeb.
Marriyum further said that "accountability is a major feature of the government's agenda but it believes that everything should move ahead as per the law and not by the politically vested interests".
The federal minister also refuted the speculations that former president Asif Ali Zardari has opposed the move to arrest Imran Khan, saying the government was working for the betterment of the country.
Accusing Imran Khan of bullying FIA, Marriyum said that ECP gave a decision against Imran Khan and FIA was seeking records from him but, in return, Imran refused to appear before it or give relevant records.
Commenting on the matter of Imran's aide Dr Shahbaz Gill, Marriyum said that Gill's case was a legal matter and is dealt with by the courts but Imran was making it a political matter, adding that attacking judges and police officials pushed the authorities concerned to take legal action against him, the Express Tribune reported.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was booked for threatening a judge and two top police officials in a public meeting held at the F-9 Park on August 20. According to The News International, Khan was booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
Pakistan's media regulatory authority, in fact, banned the broadcasting of live speeches of Imran Khan for threatening an Islamabad police official and a female magistrate during an address in Islamabad. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said that Imran's recorded speech would only be permitted to be aired after an effective delay mechanism to ensure effective monitoring and editorial control.
PEMRA imposed this ban on all satellite channels hours after he vowed to file cases against Islamabad's inspector-general, deputy inspector general, and female magistrate for "torturing" Shahbaz Gill.
Earlier on Saturday, Khan connected the current situation in Pakistan to the chief of army staff's appointment and termed it "unfortunate" that everything in the country was happening over one appointment.
Gill was arrested by the police on August 9 after he made controversial remarks against the Pakistan army on television that were deemed as "highly hateful and seditious" by the country's media authority.
Imran's close aide was arrested on charges of colluding with a private TV news channel in carrying out anti-state propaganda.
Notably, Pakistan's regulatory watchdog PEMRA has alleged that the ARY News channel was airing "false, hateful and seditious" content based on "absolute disinformation with a clear and present threat to national security by instigating rebellion within the armed forces."
