Interior Minister of Pakistan Announces Trial of 33 Pro-Khan Protesters in Military Court

Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has recently announced the arrest of 33 supporters of Ex-PM Imran Khan who were involved in protests against Khan’s arrest on May 9.

Sanaullah stated in a press conference that, the protesters have been handed over to the military, and conducting trials in military courts signifies that the authorities consider the alleged offenses as serious crimes against the state or its institutions. Military courts often handle cases that are deemed to have a direct impact on national security or involve offenses against military personnel or installations.

On May 9, the arrests are all in regard to the violent protest that broke out. Many of the Khan supporters have turned against the military since Khan’s arrest. There have been courthouse raids, military base break-ins & arson against military officials’ homes.

The statement suggesting that the attacks on official buildings were a “planned attack by the current government” implies that Imran Khan believes the government itself orchestrated or facilitated the violence as a means to destabilize the situation or undermine opposition movements. This indicates a political narrative being presented by the Prime Minister, suggesting that the government is responsible for the unrest and violence that unfolded during the protests.

Therefore, this crackdown on opposition supporters by the government has been ongoing since its prime attempted arrest of Khan in March. Since then there have been claims the government is responsible for a media crackdown, evidenced by the disappearance of the 2 Pakistani journalists.

The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that Pakistani journalists covering the fallout of Khan’s arrest and release have been subject to arrests, attacks, and surveillance.