File photo of PTI chief Imran Khan
A joint investigation team (JIT) formed by the Punjab caretaker government to probe the May 9 attack on the Lahore Corps’ Commander’s house (Jinnah House) on Monday issued a summons to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for today (Tuesday) for questioning related to a case registered against him over the incident.
“Imran Khan is required to attend the office of the DIG Investigation to join the investigation proceedings entrusted to the JIT formed by the Punjab government,” states the summon notice issued by Lahore DIG (investigation) Kamran Adil, who is heading the JIT. It directed Khan to appear before the JIT at 4 p.m. at the Qilla Gujjar Police Headquarters.
Khan is one of several PTI leaders and workers who have been nominated in the case for allegedly inciting the attackers who ransacked and set fire to Corps Commander’s house during riots that broke out after his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. In various media interactions, the PTI chief has claimed that he had no knowledge of the rioting as he was in NAB custody at the time, but has also seemingly supported the violence by claiming his supporters could not be expected to exercise restraint when he had been “abducted” by paramilitary Rangers.
Earlier, Khan had denied any PTI involvement in the rioting, initially accusing “agencies men” and subsequently “PDM conspirators” for the unrest that saw various military installations and buildings targeted nationwide. He has repeatedly urged the Supreme Court to take notice and initiate a “judicial inquiry” into the rioting to fix responsibility on the culprits.