According to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, 33 supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have been turned over to the army to face trial in military courts on charges of attacking armed forces’ installations.
The arrest of Khan on May 9 sparked widespread protests in Pakistan, leading to the detention of thousands, including the 33 accused. Sanaullah claimed that those who were handed over to army authorities had broken into and vandalized secure military facilities.
Khan has been accused of graft, which he vigorously refutes. Even though he posted bail and was released, tensions between him and the powerful generals in his country have only increased.
With Pakistan experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades, political unrest has escalated. Record inflation, weak economic growth, and worries of a default on external debts mean the country needs the International Monetary Fund to release funds that have been held up.
Those who “trespassed and entered very sensitive defense installations,” Sanaullah said at a press conference in Islamabad, are among those being turned over to the military. He claimed that it appeared the protesters had broken or stolen expensive machinery, computers, and other data collection mechanisms.
He implied that there would not be mass trials in military courts by saying that only those involved in breaching off-limits areas would be tried under army laws.
When asked if Khan could be tried in a military court, he said, “as far as my own assessment and the evidence we have… this man is the architect of all this mess and planning, so yes he comes under this category.”
Concerns have been raised by rights groups that civilians tried in military courts may not receive a fair trial. These courts do not allow visitors or reporters.
The minister assured everyone that if they were found guilty in military court, they could appeal to a higher court and ultimately the Supreme Court.
