'Imran Khan should have been hanged publicly,' says Pakistan's Opposition leader

Raja Riaz Ahmad Khan, the Leader of the Opposition in Pakistan’s National Assembly, on Monday said that former Prime Minister Imran Khan should have been hanged publicly. He criticised the courts for granting bail to Khan, who was arrested last week by the anti-corruption organisation National Accountability Bureau in a corruption case.

"Imran Khan should have been hanged publicly, but the courts are welcoming him as if he was his son-in-law," he said. "If the judges are so happy with this Jewish agent, they should join Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf. They have some vacant seats in the party. Going forth, they should fight elections on PTI’s ticket. In their place, those judges should be brought in who can give justice to the poor," he added.

Following Imran Khan's arrest from the premises of Islamabad High Court, his supporters resorted to violent protests across the country. They burnt vehicles, stormed Pakistan Army headquarters in Rawalpindi, attacked the corps commander's house in Lahore, and torched Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's residence.

Khan was granted bail by first Supreme Court and then by Islamabad High Court.    

Speaking on vandalism and arson committed by Imran Khan's supporters, Raja Riaz said, "The entire House is ashamed. The whole nation is ashamed."

Today, Pakistan's ruling coalition protested outside the top court against certain recent judicial judgments that they claimed offered blanket relief to Imran Khan in several instances.  

Demonstrators, belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) entered the Red Zone while the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) set up a stage in front of the Supreme Court, news agency PTI reported.

The leaders and supporters of the PDM held a demonstration outside the Supreme Court complex in Islamabad for offering “blanket relief” to Khan who has been booked in a number of cases, Dawn reported. The workers shouted slogans against the SC chief justice and in favour of the Pakistan Army at some places.

Earlier in the day, Imran Khan said in a tweet that the party workers and supporters should be ready as his party (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) might get banned by the ruling government in the coming days. "Around 7,000 PTI workers, leadership, and our women have been jailed with plans to ban the largest and only federal party in Pakistan," Imran Khan said.

Khan also urged citizens to stage peaceful protests, citing that it would be the end of Pakistan’s dream once the Constitution and Supreme Court were destroyed.

The PTI chief was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court a few days ago in a dramatic manner. Nationwide protests by his followers ensued and it also involved the vandalisation of properties belonging to senior army officers.

The Islamabad High Court in Pakistan recently granted bail to Imran Khan in several cases, allowing him to leave the court premises and return to his residence in Lahore's Zaman Park. Khan, who was detained for two days, left in a security cavalcade and was greeted by his supporters along the way.

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