ISLAMABAD: Two days after the incarcerated founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) received relief in the cipher case, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, announced that new cases would be filed against Imran Khan in the coming days.
During an interview on Geo News’ “Capital Talk,” Sanaullah, the former security chief, addressed questions regarding the former prime minister’s expected relief and potential release in other cases, following the Islamabad High Court’s verdict in the cipher case.
The senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stated that Khan’s release was not contingent on the verdict of his iddat case. He acknowledged that, under Pakistan’s laws, an accused person could benefit from the doubt.
“Doubts can be created in a simple matter… previously, we saw consecutive sentences without the creation of doubts. It is likely to see doubts in the iddat case as well, just like in the cipher case,” Sanaullah remarked.
He noted that the iddat case was being perceived as a “personal affair” of a political leader, but emphasized that a public figure has no personal affairs. The former interior minister highlighted that Khan was implicated in cases where confessions had been made.
When asked about new cases, Sanaullah confirmed that more cases would be filed soon. He hinted that a case could be lodged based on a controversial post by Khan on X (formerly Twitter).
Last week, the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) anti-cybercrime team began investigating the post, which read: “Every Pakistani should study the Hamood ur Rahman Commission Report and get to know who was the true traitor, General Yahya Khan or Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.”
Sanaullah reiterated that Khan had brought the country to a critical juncture, with only two paths forward: a democratic way leading to dialogue or a confrontational approach. He stressed that the PTI had no option but to choose the democratic path, and that while democratic parties had always been open to dialogue, there had been no response from the PTI.
Cases against Khan and Relief
Imran Khan has been incarcerated in Adiala jail since August 2023, with several current and former PTI politicians facing various allegations related to the violence following his arrest on May 9.
It is noteworthy that Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022 before being ousted via a no-confidence motion, received relief in the cipher case when the IHC quashed his sentence and ordered his release.
Subsequently, a district and sessions court in Islamabad scheduled the iddat case for June 7, following an appeal by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, for an early hearing. Bushra’s plea was filed a day after the Islamabad High Court approved District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand’s request to transfer the iddat case to another court.
In another development, a district and sessions court in Islamabad acquitted Khan and the party’s vice-chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in two cases related to long march vandalism.
On May 16, the IHC also approved Khan’s bail petition in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) settlement reference, although he remains detained in connection with other cases.
