Pakistan: 102 in military court over ex-PM Khan arrest violence
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Violence erupted in Pakistan after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was detained in May, leading to hundreds of arrests.
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Supporters of former Pakistani PM Imran Khan move with a vehicle carrying Khan following his court appearance in Islamad Pakistan on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. (AP)
The army stated Monday that more than 100 people are being tried in Pakistan military tribunals over the violence that occurred when former Prime Minister Imran Khan was detained last month. Three commanders have also been fired.
On May 9, hundreds of Khan supporters clashed with police and set fire to military facilities after Khan was arrested on fraud allegations at the Islamabad High Court.
He was released three days later after the Supreme Court ruled that his imprisonment was unlawful.
Since then, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has faced a crackdown, with thousands of followers jailed, press freedoms curtailed, amid allegations of intimidation.
Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the military spokesperson stated on Monday that "102 miscreants are being tried in the already established military courts" in connection with 200 army site attacks.
Speaking to reporters in Rawalpindi, Chaudhry called it a "huge heinous conspiracy against Pakistan," as "People were instigated and provoked against the army."
Elections are scheduled for October, and Khan has stated that the continuing crackdown is intended to prevent the enormously popular politician's party from winning.
Amnesty International previously said that Pakistan's use of opaque military courts for civilians results in "a catalog of human rights violations."
Chaudhry detailed that three officers were dismissed after failing to "maintain the security and sanctity" of army establishments during the confrontations.
"Strict disciplinary action" has been imposed on an additional 15 people, as well as three major generals and seven brigadiers.
Khan's arrest occurred only hours after he accused a top army commander of being behind an assassination attempt in which he was injured in the leg.
Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center explained that in Pakistan the military is seldom held accountable, "For the military leadership to publicly announce the firing of senior officers --- that's nothing to sneeze at."
Kugelman told AFP, "Clearly the military wants to stress that this is a full-on crackdown that will target anyone remotely connected to the violence -- even those that weren't involved in it directly."
