Imran Khan's assassination bid: Police in Pakistan's Punjab province finally register FIR
The Hindu
The move comes after the Supreme Court on November 7, 2022 ordered the provincial government to file an FIR
Police in Pakistan's Punjab province on November 8, 2022 registered an FIR in the assassination attempt on former Prime Minister Imran Khan, days after the incident, and named the assailant who was taken into custody as the prime accused in the case.
The move comes after the Supreme Court on November 7, 2022 ordered the provincial government to file an FIR in the assassination bid on Mr. Khan within 24 hours.
The FIR named the assailant, Naveed Mohammad Basheer, as the prime accused. However, it does not mention the names of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior Pakistan Army official Major General Faisal Naseer, three people who Khan had accused of hatching a plot to assassinate him.
"We are going to challenge the FIR in the apex court," a senior leader of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party Fawad Chaudhry said.
The delay in getting a case registered in Punjab province, which has PTI at the helm, has raised eyebrows.
"I wonder if I, being the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, can't get an FIR registered regarding an attack on me, what will happen to the common man," he said. On Sunday, Mr. Khan said that an FIR has not been registered on the botched "assassination attempt" on his life as authorities are refusing to file the case unless he removes an Army general's name from the complaint.
Punjab police said it has registered the FIR on the direction of the Supreme Court and nominated the suspect, Naveed, under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, and Section 302, 324, and 440 of the Pakistan Penal Code.