Pakistani court quashes terrorism charges against ex-Premier Khan

ISLAMABAD

A Pakistani court on Monday quashed terrorism charges against former Prime Minister Imran Khan for "threatening" a judge and police officials.

A two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah ordered the police to remove the terrorism charges against Khan.

In his speech during a rally on Aug. 20, Khan said he will take legal action against the capital Islamabad’s police chief, and a judicial official who ordered two-day physical remand of his chief of staff Shehbaz Gill.

Gill is facing sedition charges for remarks that allegedly aimed to incite mutiny within Pakistan’s powerful military. However, last week the same court released Gill on bail.

Later the government filed a case against Khan under terrorism law which was challenged by Khan's party in the Islamabad High Court.

Khan is already on bail in the said case from the anti-terrorism court in the capital Islamabad.

Meanwhile, in another case, the country's Election Commission has reserved its verdict against Khan's disqualification in the Toshakhana case.

Toshakhana (treasure house) is a government-owned department that keeps gifts received by members of parliament, ministers, foreign secretaries, presidents, and prime ministers.

Last month, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf sent a reference to the Election Commission, seeking to disqualify Khan for not disclosing details of the gifts he received as premier of Pakistan.

Since his ouster from power in a parliament’s no-confidence vote in April, Khan has staged a series of anti-government rallies and called for early elections, which are otherwise due in late 2023.