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According to officials, Pakistan’s Punjab police have arrested ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan and 150 others, along with some members of his former cabinet, in link with the hounding of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his representatives at Masjid-e-Nabwi in Saudi Arabia. As soon as Shehbaz Sharif and other representatives of his delegation arrived at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina last Thursday, video clips circulating on social media showed some pilgrims yelling ‘chor’ (thief) and ‘gaddar’ (traitor).
The Pakistani pilgrims used also derogatory language toward the delegation members. Police in Madina claims to have apprehended five Pakistanis involved in the sloganeering.
According to officials, Punjab police registered an FIR on Saturday night against Mr Khan, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, and 150 others, including former federal ministers Fawad Chaudhry and Sheikh Rasheed, a senior aide to the prime minister Shahbaz Gul, former deputy person speaking of the National Assembly Qasim Soori, and Mr Khan’s close aides in London, Anil Musarrat and Sahibzada Jehangir
According to the police, the case was filed at a police station in Faisalabad, about 180 kilometers from Lahore, on the complaint of local resident Naeem Bhatti on charges of desecration of the Prophet’s mosque in Madina, hooliganism, and hurting the sentiments of Muslims.
The FIR was filed under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including 295 A (deliberate and malevolent acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by disparaging its religion or religious beliefs).
According to the FIR, over 100 supporters of Mr. Khan were dispatched to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan and the United Kingdom to carry out the mission of targeting Mr. Sharif and his delegation at Madina’s Masjid-e-Nabwi. According to the report, Mr. Khan and other PTI nominated leaders issued directives to party workers in this regard.
Meanwhile, Faisalabad police said action would be taken against those named in the FIR in accordance with the law.
Mr Khan distanced himself from the pilgrims who hounded and chanted slogans against Mr Sharif in a TV interview on Saturday, saying he could “not even imagine asking anyone to carry out sloganeering at the sacred place.”
