ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and over 600 leaders and former assembly members of PTI have been barred from leaving the country, media reported on Thursday.
Imran and several leaders of his party are facing cases following the violence after he was arrested on May 9 in a corruption case. Citing sources within the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA), Geo News reported the names of the PTI leaders and its party chief have been added for their involvement in the violence. However, there was no confirmation from the Imran-led party. The names have been added to the FIA’s Provincial National Identification List (PNIL) to prevent them from going abroad, the sources said.
The sources said some of the PTI members had tried leaving Pakistan over the last three days, but were stopped at the airports. The list also includes the name of former information minister Fawad Chaudhry who has already quit PTI. The party suffered another jolt on Thursday after the head of its economic team and one of Imran’s close aides Asad Umar resigned from all party positions, amid the government’s crackdown on the opposition.
FIA’s move came even as Punjab police chief Usman Anwar alleged Imran and his aides coordinated the violence on May 9. Citing a geo-fencing report, he said, “Police detected over 400 calls made by Imran Khan and other leaders of his party, PTI, to incite workers to target the military officer’s residence in Lahore and other military installations.”
Meanwhile, the former PM filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the government invoking Article 245 in many provinces, terming it “undeclared martial law”. Under Article 245 of Pakistan’s constitution, the army can be called in to aid the civil administration to defend the country.
Imran and several leaders of his party are facing cases following the violence after he was arrested on May 9 in a corruption case. Citing sources within the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA), Geo News reported the names of the PTI leaders and its party chief have been added for their involvement in the violence. However, there was no confirmation from the Imran-led party. The names have been added to the FIA’s Provincial National Identification List (PNIL) to prevent them from going abroad, the sources said.
The sources said some of the PTI members had tried leaving Pakistan over the last three days, but were stopped at the airports. The list also includes the name of former information minister Fawad Chaudhry who has already quit PTI. The party suffered another jolt on Thursday after the head of its economic team and one of Imran’s close aides Asad Umar resigned from all party positions, amid the government’s crackdown on the opposition.
FIA’s move came even as Punjab police chief Usman Anwar alleged Imran and his aides coordinated the violence on May 9. Citing a geo-fencing report, he said, “Police detected over 400 calls made by Imran Khan and other leaders of his party, PTI, to incite workers to target the military officer’s residence in Lahore and other military installations.”
Meanwhile, the former PM filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the government invoking Article 245 in many provinces, terming it “undeclared martial law”. Under Article 245 of Pakistan’s constitution, the army can be called in to aid the civil administration to defend the country.