Pak court grants permission to police to arrest Imran Khan in May 9 riot case

LAHORE: In another blow to Imran Khan, a Pakistani court has granted permission to police to arrest and investigate the jailed prime minister in connection to the May 9 vandalism incident at Lahore's Corps Commander's House, better known as Jinnah House, it emerged on Thursday.

The 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman is currently lodged in the Attock District Jail in Punjab province after his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case earlier this month.

The Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore issued the order to arrest and investigate Khan in relation to the vandalism incident on May 9 at the Jinnah House in response to a petition filed by the Lahore police investigation chief, the Express Tribune newspaper reported on Thursday.

The police stated the necessity to probe and arrest the former prime minister for his alleged involvement in the Jinnah House arson case.

An investigation team would be sent to Attock Jail to investigate the PTI chairman. The team would submit its report to the court, the report said quoting police sources.

The sources said for the time being Khan's arrest in the arson case would be kept on hold.

Pakistan saw massive nationwide anti-government protests following the arrest of Khan by paramilitary Rangers in a corruption case on May 9. Khan was later released on bail.

Dozens of military installations and government buildings, including the Corps Commander's House in Lahore and the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, were damaged or torched during the riots. Over 100 vehicles of police and other security agencies were set on fire. Following the violent protests, law enforcement agencies arrested over 10,000 PTI workers across Pakistan, 4,000 of them from Punjab province only.

The PTI contests that its members were not involved in the attacks, but the government and military reject the claims and say they have ''irrefutable evidence'' of their involvement.