<\/p>\n
Government spokesperson for legal affairs Barrister Aqeel Malik has hinted that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan\u2019s cases concerning the violence on May 9 last year might go to the military courts.<\/p>\n
Countrywide protests erupted on May 9 last year after the paramilitary Rangers whisked away Imran from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a corruption case. While the protests were underway, social media was flooded with footage of rioting and vandalism at various spots, including the Lahore Corps Commander\u2019s residence and General Headquarters, the army\u2019s head of office in Rawalpindi.<\/p>\n
The already incarcerated former prime minister was \u201carrested<\/a>\u201d in these cases on July 15 \u2014 just a day after he and his wife, Bushra Bibi, had been apprehended in a new Toshakhana<\/a> case, following their acquittal in the Iddat<\/a> case.<\/p>\n In an interview on DawnNewsTV<\/em> programme Doosra Rukh<\/em> on Friday, Barrister Malik was questioned whether he thought Imran could be trialled in a military court following the arrest<\/a> of former intelligence chief Lt-Gen (retired) Faiz Hameed to which he said: \u201cYes absolutely.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the events and vandalism seen on May 9 invited the application of the Army Act since military installations were attacked and damaged. He alleged that the PTI founder orchestrated and \u201cproperly operated\u201d the riots that took place last year.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was premeditated. This was preplanned,\u201d Malik said.<\/p>\n He further said regarding military courts that \u201cit is entirely possible that Imran Khan\u2019s trial is held in a military court and the reason for that is because the Army Act will be applicable.\u201d<\/p>\n He said that a lot of people were saying that any conviction by a military could be appealed at the high court, but he added neither the high court nor the Supreme Court could entertain it.<\/p>\n \u201cAccording to the legal provisions, the appeal for the case would be taken by the military court of appeals,\u201d Malik explained.<\/p>\n He added that once the options of appeals were exhausted, then only the mercy appeal could be submitted to the army chief or the president as a last resort.<\/p>\n