Pakistan mulls sedition case against ex-pm Khan, others
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government is mulling to launch a sedition case against former prime minister Imran Khan and the chief ministers of Gilgit-baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for allegedly planning an “attack” on the federation during a protest in Islamabad last month.
A meeting of the special committee of the Cabinet held under the chairmanship of interior minister Rana Sana Ullah Khan on Thursday deliberated on the issue of bringing sedition charges against Khan and others following their “Azadi March” that left a trail of destruction in the capital Islamabad.
The May 25 march aimed at forcing the government to call snap polls, but failed to achieve its objective as clashes erupted between protesters and police. The government has been mulling options for appropriate action against Khan and others for vandalising the property of the state.
The committee was briefed about Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf’s (PTI) long march and its formal plan to attack the federation, according to a report by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
“The Cabinet committee deliberated to file a sedition case under Section 124A of the Criminal Procedure Code against PTI chairman Imran Khan Niazi and chief ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mehmood Khan, and Gilgit-baltistan Khalid Khursheed,” said the report.
The committee also reviewed the evidence regarding the PTI long march participants, especially party chief Imran Khan and the two chief ministers. The meeting was later adjourned till Monday (June 6) for further consultations to make final recommendations to the Cabinet.
Reserves under $10bn as IMF loan uncertain
Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves fell below $10 billion, threatening to spill over into a full-blown economic crisis unless policy makers secure a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The stockpile decreased by $366 million in the week ending on May 27 to stand at $9.72 billion, the central bank said in a statement on its website on Thursday. That’s roughly a 50% drop from August and enough to pay for less than two months of imports.
The shortage of dollars could worsen as the nation forecasts its trade deficit will widen to a record $45 billion in the year ending June.