Ashish Ranjan
Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has claimed that he could be killed during court depositions and has asked the chief justice to enable him to appear virtually. On Monday, the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) claimed that a “death trap” had been set up at the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC), where he arrived on Saturday to attend a hearing in the Toshakhana case.
According to The Dawn, the cricketer-turned-politician claimed that “na maloom afraad” (unknown individuals) were stationed outside to kill him. In a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Atta Bandial, the embattled PTI leader requested that the cases filed against him be consolidated.
Imran Khan was in the crosshairs for purchasing gifts, including a costly Graff wristwatch, at a discount from the state depository known as Toshakhana and reselling them for a profit.
The Election Commission of Pakistan also disqualified him for failing to disclose the details of the case. The election body later lodged a criminal complaint against Khan with the district court, but Khan has ignored multiple court summonses in the case.
Shortly I will expose how I almost walked into a death trap & the plot to kill me in the Judicial Complex; and how Almighty Allah saved me in the nick of time.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 20, 2023
On the Saturday before last, when Khan went to the Islamabad high court to be heard in the Toshakhana case, there was high drama outside the court. Due to clashes between Islamabad Police and PTI workers outside the judicial complex, his arrest warrant was revoked after ADSJ Zafar Iqbal allowed him to depart after noting his presence in court.
Imran Khan has been charged with terrorism, murder, blasphemy, attempted murder, and treason in close to 100 cases.
‘DEATH TRAP WAS LAID’
“On Saturday, a death trap was set up at the Federal Judicial Complex in Islamabad, where I had to appear for a hearing in the Toshakhana gifts case. “About 20 namaloom afraad (unknown people) — a reference to men from intelligence agencies — were present in the complex to assassinate me,” Khan said in a Monday address to the nation.
“It was not to imprison me, but to murder me. If I continue to be exposed in this manner, it won’t be long before they succeed, and then who will be responsible?” he asked.During his address, he also played a video showing alleged suspects in civilian attire present at the courthouse wearing plastic restraints, according to PTI. He claimed that these individuals intended to strangle Khan with the rope they held.
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Imran Khan has also requested that the CJP investigate how these 20 or so “unknown individuals” were able to access the high-security zone. (judicial complex).
Khan continued his tirade against the Shehbaz-Shariff government by stating, “Attempts are being made to pit my party against the army, and the PMLN-led coalition government is doing everything it can to turn the army against me and the PTI.”
