In a startling revelation, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Babar Awan on Friday claimed the party has evidence of another assassination plot being hatched to murder PTI chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan.
Addressing the media in Islamabad, Awan, who is also Imran’s lawyer, said the party has received fresh reports from a “foreign intelligence agency” about another assassination attempt on Imran Khan.
Without identifying the spy agency or divulging further details on the purported evidence, Awan said a plan has been made for a sniper to target Imran in the Islamabad judicial complex during his court hearing. A foreign agency has said that such an incident could happen in the Islamabad courts, he claimed.
The PTI leader said that CCTV cameras were switched off for the first time and no security arrangements were made during Imran Khan’s arrival in the judicial complex for a court hearing earlier this week. He said a terrorism case had been registered against Ahmed Niazi, who is in charge of Imran Khan’s security, to undermine the security of the former premier. “Attempts are being made to carry out an attack in the Salman Taseer and Liaquat Bagh-style formula to kill Imran Khan,” he said. Awan also called upon the judiciary to allow his client to appear for hearings via video link due to the security concerns.
Demanding answers from the government regarding the security risks and threats facing the PTI chief, Awan underlined that more than 100 cases had been registered against Khan in Islamabad alone. “Why these cases are being filed in Islamabad? Who shut the CCTV cameras? Who removed security from the anti-terrorism court (ATC), and who called the security personnel off the judicial complex?”
He went on to say: “The lawyers of Islamabad deem the Kachehri (Judicial Complex) as a death trap”.
During Imran’s appearance before ATC, there was no security in sight. “Why can’t Khan be allowed to appear virtually before the court when his attacker can be allowed to do so?” Babar asked.
He said Khan should be dealt with by the rule of law but he should also be allowed to appear virtually before the court. “In order to deprive Imran Khan of his personal security, lawsuits are being filed against his personal security staff,” Awan said while mentioning that Ahmed Niazi, the PTI chief’s security in-charge was facing such cases.
Awan revealed they were informed that Khan would be called to Kachehri and killed there. “The PTI chairman is being stressed to come out and appear before the court,” he said.
“There are two kinds of cases against the PTI chief. The cases of atrocities that took place in May are also being registered against us[PTI].”
He said around 120 party workers had been detained, adding, there had been numerous killings in Kachehris in the past.
Awan said the First Investigation Report (FIR) would definitely be filed for the Wazirabad incident, and demanded that PM Shehbaz and his government give PTI in writing that if anything happened to Khan, their [government] would be responsible for it.
