Terrorism charges brought against Pakistan ex-prime minister Imran Khan

The charges followed a speech Khan gave in Islamabad on Saturday in which he vowed to sue police officers and a female judge and alleged that a close aide had been tortured after his arrest.

Khan has not spoken publicly about the latest charges, but a court in Islamabad issued a so-called “protective bail” for him for the next three days, preventing police from arresting him over the charges, said Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a senior leader in his Tehreek-e-Insaf opposition party.

Hundreds of Tehreek-e-Insaf members stood outside Khan’s home on Monday in a show of support as the former premier held meetings inside. The party has warned that it will hold nationwide rallies if Khan is arrested while working to beat the charges in court.

Under Pakistan’s legal system, police file what is known as a first information report about charges against an accused person to a magistrate, who allows the investigation to move forward. Typically, police then arrest and question the accused.

The report against Khan includes evidence from Magistrate Judge Ali Javed, who described being at the Islamabad rally on Saturday and hearing Khan criticise the inspector-general of Pakistan’s police and another judge.

Khan reportedly went on to say: “You also get ready for it, we will also take action against you. All of you must be ashamed.”

He could face several years in prison under the new charges, which accuse him of threatening police officers and the judge under the country’s sedition act, which stems from British colonial-era law.

He has not been detained on lesser charges against him in his recent campaigning against the government.

The Pakistani judiciary has a history of politicisation and taking sides in power struggles between the military, the civilian government and opposition politicians, according to Washington-based advocacy group Freedom House.

Current Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is likely to discuss the charges against Khan at a cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

Khan came to power in 2018, promising to break the pattern of family rule in Pakistan. His opponents contend he was elected with help from the powerful military, which has ruled the country for half of its 75-year history.

In seeking Khan’s removal earlier this year, the opposition had accused him of economic mismanagement as inflation soared and the Pakistani rupee plummeted in value.

The parliament’s no-confidence vote in April that ousted Khan capped months of political turmoil and a constitutional crisis that required the Supreme Court to step in. Meanwhile, it appeared the military similarly had cooled to Khan.

He alleged that the Pakistani military took part in a US plot to oust him. Washington, the Pakistani military and Mr Sharif’s government have all denied the allegation.

Meanwhile, Khan has been holding a series of mass rallies trying to pressure the government.

In his latest speech on Sunday night at a rally in the city of Rawalpindi, he said so-called “neutrals” were behind the recent crackdown against his party. He has in the past used the phrase for the military.

“A plan has been made to place our party against the wall. I assure you, that the Sri Lankan situation is going to happen here,” Khan said, referencing the recent economic protests that toppled the Sri Lankan government.

“Now we are following law and constitution. But when a political party strays from that path, the situation inside Pakistan, who will stop the public? There are 220 million people.”

Khan’s party has been holding mass protests but Pakistan’s government and security forces fear the former cricket star’s popularity could still draw millions on to the streets. That could further pressure the nuclear-armed nation as it struggles to secure a £6 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund amid an economic crisis.

On Sunday, internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks said services in the country blocked access to YouTube after Khan broadcast the speech on the platform despite a ban issued by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.

Police arrested his political aide, Shahbaz Gill, earlier this month after he appeared on private television channel ARY TV and urged soldiers and officers to refuse to obey “illegal orders” from the military leadership.

Gill was charged with treason, which under Pakistani law carries the death penalty. ARY also remains off-air in Pakistan following that broadcast.

Khan has alleged that police abused Gill while in custody. Police said Gill suffers from asthma and has not been abused while detained.

He was discharged from a hospital to attend a court hearing on Monday on whether he should return to jail. He appeared healthy in television footage as he left for the court amid tight security

Meanwhile, police separately arrested journalist Jameel Farooqi in Karachi over his allegations that Gill had been tortured by police. Farooqi is a vocal supporter of Khan.