Pakistan: Sedition charges included in cases against Imran Khan

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 20 (ANI): The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has been charged under the sedition clauses in the charge sheet related to the May 9 riots cases, ARY News reported on Wednesday.
ARY News reported that the Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) confirmed the inclusion of Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) in all cases related to the May 9 riots.
Police said that evidence was found from the scenes against the accused for triggering violence. The sedition clauses were included after the prosecution raised objections to the charge sheet.
Police added that the charge sheet will be submitted after receiving a report from the concerned institutions regarding the new clauses and objections of the prosecution will be removed before its submission.
Earlier, a special court rejected the bail applications of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and the party's vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cypher case, Geo News reported on Thursday.
Special court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain heard the bail applications and reserved the verdict after PTI's counsels completed their arguments. Later, the judge announced the reserved verdict, rejecting the post-arrest bail pleas of the PTI leaders.
On September 16, the same court established under the Official Secrets Act approved PTI leader Asad Umar’s bail in the case related to US cypher after a prosecutor told the judge that his arrest was not required at this stage, Geo News reported.
Judge Zulqarnain approved the PTI leader's bail against the surety bond of Rs50,000 and also noted that Umar expressed willingness to join the cypher probe but the prosecution did not investigate him in the case.
“If Asad Umar's arrest is required, FIA [Federal Investigation Agency] will proceed according to law,” the judge ordered.
He also directed the FIA to inform the PTI leader in advance before arresting him in the case.
Notably, the FIA booked PTI chief Khan and the party’s vice chairman Qureshi under the Official Secrets Act last month for allegedly misplacing and misusing classified documents for vested political interests
Subsequently, both leaders were arrested in connection with the investigation into the case and a special court was established under the Official Secrets Act to try the accused. (ANI)